Melt With You
by fictionhashijackedmymind
Summary: You are a teenage girl living in Burgess, Pennsylvania, and Jack Frost's only believer. One fateful night, you get sucked into this crazy adventure with him: An adventure that decides the fate of the world. Jack Frost x Reader story, taking place during the Rise of the Guardians film. (May extend to after if requested) This is not your typical x Reader story :)
1. The Bennet's

". . .I did this jump and it was amazing, and I slid under a car and it was awesome!" Jamie's voice echoes down the hall to where you're sorting laundry. "Then I was flying down this hill and was like _whoosh whoosh whoosh_ through all these cars, and then the sled hit this...this thing, and I was like way up in the air!"

You abandon trying to find Sophie's favorite stuffed animal and walk down the hall curiously. You lean against the doorframe of Jamie's room silently and smile when you see him standing on his bed, mesmerizing Sophie with his story and the way he's flying his robot light through the air. Abby is just as attentive from where she lays on the ground, ears perked and head tilted in curiosity at her owner's excitement.

"—and then _BAM!_ The sofa hit me, and—and see?" Jamie pulls up his lip so Sophie can see the brand new gap in his teeth. "Mah tooth ca- ou!"

Sophie giggles and reaches up, trying to stick her finger into his mouth. You giggle at the two siblings and step into the room. "Sounds like Jack Frost decided to have a bit of fun with you!" _As, you know for a fact he did._

Jamie screws his face up in confusion. "Who's Jack Frost?"

You wiggle your eyebrows teasingly and whisper: "Let me go put Sophe to bed, and I'll tell you." He grins and nods his head enthusiastically. "Okay, lay down and I'll be in in a minute. Come on, Sophie!"

You reach down and take Sophie into your arms, carrying her down the hall to her room. After making sure she brushes her teeth, you extract her fluffy pink fairy wings and lay her down softly. She yawns and you smile fondly as you pull the covers up to her chin. She's the cutest. You sing to her softly for a few minutes until her head lulls to the side, fast asleep.

Your heart warms at the sight and you lean forward to brush her bangs out of her face and kiss her forehead. "Good night, sweetheart."

Then you stand up and, after making sure her night light is on, pad quietly out of her room and close the door over behind you. You smile at the little fairy hanging on the front of her door and sigh happily. You can't wait to tell Jamie about Jack. Hopefully, the kid who believes in everything will believe in him.

But when you get to the eldest Bennet's room, he is fast asleep in bed. The flashlight he was going to use to stay up and find the Tooth Fairy is on his bedside table, casting a spot of light on the wall. Your heart sinks, but you shake off the twinge of sadness just as quickly as it came, trying not to dwell on your missed opportunity. You walk over to the bed as quietly as you can and turn off the flashlight. Then, you carefully take the container with Jamie's tooth off of his bedside table and tuck it carefully under his pillow. You know she'll probably see it on the table, but being cautious never hurts anyone. Especially a little boy who is expecting to wake up with a coin from the Tooth Fairy tomorrow.

And yes, you do still believe in the Tooth Fairy. And yes, you have been talking about Jack Frost like it's no big deal.

You've believed in all of them ever since you can remember: Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, etc. For some reason, unlike all of the other kids your age, the belief never left you. You're sixteen years-old, almost seventeen, and yet you still pray to the Sandman for good dreams every night.

Most nights, you certainly need them.

Two years ago, you met Jack Frost. You were a fourteen-year-old girl going through a trying time in your life, and you found him. Well, more like he found you. The two of you have been best friends ever since, practically inseparable save for when the summers get to hot. You've done your best to find him more believers, and he's done all he can to . . . chase the darkness away.

You've lived in Burgess your whole life, but just this year you've started babysitting for the Bennet's and some of the other neighborhood kids. They're all so good, though they do play their fair share of pranks, and you have high hopes for getting them to believe in Jack. Maybe on Easter, when the air is filled with hope and they're all thinking about the Easter Bunny, you'll break out a story.

Jamie's the most promising of the bunch, in your opinion. His whole room is decorated with drawings and photographs and books of creatures of the unknown. He would make a good second-believer for Jack.

Smiling at the notion, you kiss Jamie's hair softly just as you did his sister's. You make sure to close his bedroom door quietly behind you and pick up the laundry basket waiting for you in the hallway. You walk back to the laundry room and set it on the counter to do once the load you already put in is finished.

Abby is laying outside Sophie's door, and you pat your leg softly to get her to follow you downstairs. Once you make your way down, you're surprised to see Mrs. Bennet standing at the kitchen sink doing the dishes. "You're home early," you greet.

She jumps at your voice, and you smile teasingly. "(y/n)!" Despite her semi-scolding tone, her eyes are twinkling behind her glasses. "How were the kids?"

"Wonderful, as usual," you reply, smiling. You walk toward her and start drying the dishes that she's washed. "They're never a problem, Mrs. Bennet."

"Well, thank you," she sighs. The two of you finish the dishes in silence and, once you're done, she slips a twenty dollar bill into your hand. You open your mouth to protest but she interrupts you before you can: "Keep it," she insists, closing your hand around the money. "You're so good with the kids, (y/n), I couldn't ask for a better person to look after them."

Your cheeks flush at the compliment and you smile, looking down at your shoes. "Thank you, Mrs. Bennet. And call me any time you need. It's not like I'm doing anything." The both of you laugh, but when you glance up at the clock in the middle of the kitchen, your face falls. It's getting pretty late. "I should probably get home."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay the night?"

You freeze halfway to the door, tilting your head to the side to let Mrs. Bennet know you heard her. It's common knowledge around Burgess what your parents are like. They've been gone for weeks, and just arrived home again last night from who knows what business trip. As much as you'd love to ignore them further, you've already stayed with the Bennet's twice this week.

It's time to face the music. "I'm sure. Thank you so much for the offer, though," you reply without turning around.

"Of course, sweetheart. You know you're always welcome." You lean down and pull on your boots, heart warming at Mrs. Bennet's kindness. Just as you're tugging on your hat, she yells from the kitchen: "Make sure you remember your hat! Wouldn't want Jack Frost nipping at your nose."

You smirk to yourself and pull on your gloves. She has no idea.


	2. The Alley

The freezing air hits you hard when you step outside, and you shiver. You made the decision not to wear a scarf today, which was a sore mistake; Though it was warm when the sun was shining, the wind is unrelenting tonight. You shut the Bennet's door behind you and walk down to the sidewalk, boots crunching in the snow.

You make it about two houses down before you hear a familiar crackling sound above you.

You stop walking and look up at the telephone lines traversing the street. You smile: Just as you thought, Jack is walking along one of the wires like a tightrope. His familiar shock of white hair doesn't seem to be glowing in the moonlight though, which means he has his good up. Your heart sinks a little bit. It's never a good sign when Jack has his hood up.

"Hey, Frosty!" you shout up to him. "You trying to cut the whole neighborhood's power?"

You were expecting him to be in a bad mood but when he turns to look at you, it's with a bright smile. He continues to walk steadily along one of the lines while his staff coats the opposite one with ice. "Hey, (y/n)! How was babysitting?"

The corners of your mouth turn up and you start walking with Jack, him on the telephone poles, and you thirty feet below him on the sidewalk. "Good, as usual. Those kids are great." Jack nods in agreement, but doesn't say anything. "Jamie knocked his tooth out today," you prompt nonchalantly. "Know anything about that?"

Jack purses his lips as if in thought and shakes his head. "Nope."

You halt and point an accusing finger up at him, laughing incredulously. "You liar!"

He raises his hands in surrender and drops down smoothly so he's next to you. You cross your arms and raise your eyebrows playfully, daring him to lie to you. Jack grins. "Alright, alright, it may have _sort of_ been my fault. Kind of."

"Uh-huh. 'Sort of.'" Jack chuckles and you continue walking, shoving your hands deeper into your pockets in an attempt to warm them. You can't really be mad at Jack for his escapade with the kids today—You know he would never let any of them get hurt. At least severely. You meet his gaze with a soft smile. "He loved it, you know."

Your friend's expression hardens and he looks away from you, face now obscured by his hood. "Yeah, enough to give the Tooth Fairy credit."

Your eyes widen and you grab his arm, forcing him to stop with you. So that's why he's upset. "No."

He nods and starts to walk again, but you place your hand on his arm again before he can. Gently, you turn his face to look at you, and your heart twinges at the absolute dejection written across his face. "I'm sorry, Jack. We'll keep trying."

His blue eyes are sad beneath his white fringe (he desperately needs a haircut). "Three hundred years, (y/n), and there's only been you." He smiles genuinely and takes your hand. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

You blush and pull him into a hug. "I don't know what I'd do without you either."

A flash of gold appears in the corner of your vision, and you turn your head to see a golden stream of light floating serenely over a rooftop across the street. Jack grins. "Right on time, Sandman."

And then, with a gust of wind, he's gone—back running across the telephone lines so he can stick his hand in a stream of Dreamsand flowing steadily toward one of the houses down the street. Hundreds of more arcs of sand descend from the sky, all of them going out to a sleeping child. You've been able to see the golden lights ever since you can remember. They've been a permanent fixture of light and hope in your life and, every night, they're waiting for you.

After watching a golden dolphin swim further down the street, Jack floats back down to walk next to you. "Sometimes I wish I had to sleep, just to see what I would dream about."

You roll your eyes. "Jack, I've seen you sleep before."

He shrugs and chuckles. "I _can_ sleep, I just don't _have_ to. I really only do when I'm at your place."

"So you're telling me you only sleep when you spend the night at my house."

"Yup."

"You haven't spent the night at my house in months."

"Yup."

You burst out laughing. "I've never even thought about you not needing to sleep. I mean, I knew you were immortal, but—" You cut yourself off when you look over and realize the both of you have reached your house.

The both of you stare at it for a moment Jack's concerned blue eyes turn back to you. "Do you want me to stay tonight?"

You shake your head, still not looking away from the house. "No, I'll be fine."

"Are you sure? I know you hate staying here alone, even when your parents are here—"

"I'm fine, Jack," you insist, finally turning your gaze to meet his. "I promise."

After a couple of seconds of silence, in which Jack searches your face for any sign of doubt or discomfort, Jack nods his head. "Alright. But you know if you need anything, I'll be here in a jiffy."

You raise your eyebrows. "Did you just say jiffy?"

Jack freezes for a moment before scratching the back of his neck with a sheepish smile. "Maybe?"

You laugh and take ahold of his arm. "You're such an old man."

"Older and wiser than you!"

"Yeah, yeah." You roll your eyes playfully before stepping back and away from him. "Good night, Jack."

You're just about to turn and walk up your driveway when you see Jack whip his head around. "What was that?" he mumbles.

You follow his gaze down the street. "What?" He doesn't respond, but instead takes off flying down the street after whatever he saw. "Jack!" you shout after him.

He doesn't turn around. You heave a big sigh—you can't just go inside and go to sleep after _that_ exit. "Great. Chasing my crazy friend in below-freezing weather was _exactly_ how I wanted to spend my Saturday night." But, you accept this chance to not go into your house and chase after your friend on his wild goose chase. The only way you can still see him is by the moonlight glinting off of his silvery-white hair. He rounds a sharp corner when he reaches downtown and you push yourself to run faster so as not to lose him.

By the time you reach the center of town, you're out of breath, and you've lost sight of Jack. You slow down to a jog and try to listen for something other than the blood rushing in your ears and your boots crunching on the icy sidewalk. You left and begin your trek down Main Street, checking every side intersection until you see him in the alley by the bakery.

You jog into the darkness after him, still breathing rather heavily. "Jack, what the—"

A loud clang sounds from behind you, and you whirl around with a gasp only to see a trash can teetering back and forth. You take a step back, unintentionally running into Jack, who steadies you silently with one hand while raising his staff with the other. He turns around and you do the same, grabbing a fistful of his sweatshirt nervously as the both of you look around the alley for the source of the noise.

"'Ello, mate." You yelp and whip around to face the voice.

A tall figure is leaning in the shadow of the next building, twirling what looks to be a boomerang in its hand. "It's been a long time," the figure continues in his heavily-accented voice. "Blizzard of '68, I believe? Easter Sunday, wasn't it?" He steps out of the shadows and your jaw drops when you comprehend that the man in front of you isn't a man: He's a giant, over six-foot tall rabbit. _Rabbit._

Jack steps forward and leans on his staff, looking at the rabbit with a cocky smile. Despite his well-feigned ease, you can still see the tension in his shoulders. "Bunny! You're not still mad about that, are ya?"

The newcomer's eyes narrow and he points his boomerang threateningly at Jack. "Yes."

"You're the Easter Bunny," you whisper. Jack and the bunny look back at you.

The over-sized rabbit looks surprised to see you. Or, that you see him. But then his surprise transforms into suspicion. "Who are you?"

You're about to introduce yourself, but Jack cuts you off. "None of your business. Why are you giving little old me a visit so close to Easter, Cottontail? Don't you have eggs to glitter-fy?"

Bunny's attention shifts away from you and back to Jack. He glares. "It's not glitter, it's natural dye."

Jack holds up his hands. "Sorry, sorry, my mistake. But why are you here? I wasn't planning on frosting over your eggs. At least this year."

An impish smile spreads across Bunny's gray face and you frown, chest tightening at the look. This can't be good. "Oh, yeah! I almost forgot...Fellas."

A giant furry hand flies in out of the corner of your eye and grabs Jack's hood. A creature that closely resembles the posters of Bigfoot all over Jamie's walls is now holding a very angry Jack off of the ground by his hood. It fixes its eyes on you and you scream, backing away in terror. Jack is yelling something to you, but you can't tell what over all of the chaos around you. The Easter Bunny catches your shoulders before you can back into a wall and smiles down at you. "Better hold on, sheila."

Then the ground disappears from beneath your feet and you're falling.

The next thing you know, you're flying up through a hole in the ground but, when you land, the hole is gone. Bunny's hands—paws—keep you from teetering over in shock. "Easy there, mate. Tunnels aren't good for a first-timer." You scramble out of his grip, doing your best to put distance between the both of you despite your dizziness. He may be the Easter Bunny, but you've never met him. AND he just kidnapped you.

Within a couple of seconds, your back runs into something and you freeze. Slowly, you look over your shoulder to see an intimidating man looming over you. He's huge, at least a foot taller than you, with dark, spiky eyebrows furrowed over electric-blue eyes. He has white hair and a salt and pepper beard that extends down to his portly stomach. Two large, muscly, arms are crossed over his chest, and you gulp when you see each forearm is heavily-tattooed, though you can't tell what they say through your heavy-lidded eyes.

He smiles down at you, eyes twinkling kindly. "Hello."

Then your eyes roll back in your head and everything goes black.


	3. The North Pole

"Aw, Sandy did you knock her out?"

Your eyes roll beneath your eyelids and you frown at the unfamiliar voices surrounding you. A whirlwind of memories blows through your mind as you slowly regain consciousness, but it takes you a moment to remember what happened last.

"Is she going to be okay?" _Jack._

A booming Russian accent answers his question: "I caught her before she hit ground. Should be no harm done."

"Shush, guys!" A female voice scolds. "She's waking up."

You twitch your fingers, testing the muscles as two cold hands come to rest on your shoulders. "(y/n)?"

You open your eyes slowly, squinting when you're met with the bright light above you. Jack is kneeling next to you, staring at you with concerned blue eyes, and you see the worry melt away from his features when your gaze meet his. Four more people stand behind him, one of which is the huge man from before. He doesn't seem so scary now that your vision isn't altered. He smiles down at you kindly.

A small golden man floats by your shoulder and he also smiles down at you. A waving hand appears above his head and you smile half-heartedly, trying to be polite through your confusion. The other two people include the Easter Bunny, who got you into this mess, and a beautiful, flying bird-woman.

"Um," you flush red a little bit at the sound of your croaky voice and you clear your throat before trying again. "Hi." Jack sits back in relief, lifting his hands from your shoulders. You sit up slowly so you're leaning back on your hands. "What happened?"

"You passed out," Jack replies and hops to his feet. He holds out a hand for you and you take it, letting him pull you up next to him. "Really scared me for a second."

Your eyes scan the room you're in—It's cavernous, with a domed ceiling who's curve doesn't end until a couple of stories above you. A large window at the top of the arc exposes the huge, beautiful full moon hovering in the sky. A large globe rotates serenely in the center of the room, tiny golden lights glowing all across it like stars. A homey fireplace crackles on the opposite wall, filling the room with a comfortable warmth.

"Where are we?" you mumble, eyes wide with awe as you track one of the many flying contraptions across the room.

Jack coughs uncomfortably. "I'll explain later. For now..." He redirects his attention back to the other four people in the room. His blue eyes are narrowed dangerously and you gulp — you've only seen Jack mad a couple of times, and it's never fun for either of you. "I'd like to know _why_ we're here."

"Right." The large man clears his throat, appearing to be slightly sheepish under Jack's glare. "First, introductions. You know Bunny, obviously." You blink in awe. So that _is_ the Easter Bunny.

Jack grins at the man—Bunny—in question, who won't even give Jack the time of day to look at him. "Obviously."

"And, the Tooth Fairy."

The beautiful bird woman flutters over to you and Jack, hovering right in front of both of you. So close, in fact, that you take a shaky step back. A legion of tiny fairies, exact replicas of the tooth fairy, flit around behind her, tittering in excitement."Hello, Jack!" she practically squeals. "I've heard a lot about you. And your teeth!"

You and Jack share a confused glance. "My what?" he asks.

"Open up!" the Tooth Fairy exclaims, flitting even closer. Jack backpedals, reaching an arm across the front of you so you do the same. "Are they really as white as they say? Yes!" She turns to her little fairies and smiles. "Oh, they really do sparkle like freshly fallen snow." Several of the Baby Teeth swirl around you and Jack, swooning and chirping. You laugh at the way they're batting their lashes, and Jack narrows his eyes at your reaction. You shrug.

Suddenly, the Tooth Fairy seems to collect herself and she holds herself taller, trying to appear more professional than her original reaction indicated. "Girls, pull yourselves together. Let's not disgrace the uniform."

She zips away with her fairies trailing after her, allowing for the large man to continue his introductions: "And, Sandman." He gestures down to the small golden man floating next to him who seems to be sleeping soundly. He pats his shoulder gently. "Sandy." When there is no reaction, he shouts, "Sandy, wake up!"

The man drops to his feet as he wakes up and looks around the room to regain his bearings before his eyes settle back on you and your friend. He smiles kindly and nods his head almost invisibly. You smile back, but Jack says, "Hey! Anyone want to tell me why I'm here?"

The Sandman raises his hand, obviously eager to help. A tirade of images begin to appear over his head, and you watch both mesmerized and confused as he tries to explain the situation with a game of Pictionary. Before you can grow even more perplexed, you clear your throat. "I'm sorry, but I truly don't get it. Can you slow down?" you ask.

The Sandman nods happily, not at all fazed by your interjection and goes to start over, but the man from before interrupts him. You're starting to begin to know who this guy is. "I'll explain, Sandy. Don't worry." He clears his throat and goes to begin the story, but Jack speaks again:

"I must've done something really bad to get you four together." As he walks, he drags his staff across an elf carrying a tray of cookies, freezing him in place. An _elf_. "Am I on the Naughty List?" You shrink back slowly out of the circle of people, not feeling entirely comfortable to be in the middle of the conversation.

"On naughty list?" The big man laughs heartily for a moment before stopping abruptly and saying: "You hold record."

You snort. "Of course you hold the record on the Naughty List."

Jack puts a hand over his heart in mock-offense. "Well you're not exactly an angel yourself, little-miss-perfect."

The large man holds up a hand. "Actually, Miss Pelini is very good. One of the best." You raise your eyebrows and shoot Jack a triumphant grin.

Wait. _Naughty List._

Your eyes widen in realization and you train your eyes back on the man who's been speaking the whole time. "Wait—you're _Santa_ ," you whisper. No one seems to hear your revelation except Sandy, who you didn't realize had come to stand next to you. He smiles up at you and nods, confirming your suspicion.

"But no matter," Santa continues, "We overlook. Now, we are wiping clean the slate."

"How come?" Jack asks, turning around and looking at him suspiciously.

Bunny grunts, still not looking up. "Good question."

"How come?" Santa booms. "I tell you how come! Because now . . . you are Guardian!"

With a whoosh, dozens of ceremonial torches are lit by the yetis carrying them. The sound of horns and drums fill the air, and elves leap out from behind columns, unfurling homemade celebratory banners as they descend. When you look back at Jack, you see him batting away a group of Baby Teeth trying to present him with a necklace of snowflakes.

A hand clasps onto your shoulder, and you gasp as it pulls you into the chaos. Santa looks down at you, blue eyes ecstatic as he exclaims: "This is best part!"

A yeti strolls up from behind the two of you and hands Santa a huge, leather book with a golden "G" engraved on the front. He takes it reverently before blowing off the dust—right at where you're standing next to him. You step back and wipe your face, coughing as your body rejects the substance.

Sandy is there again, smiling up at you and shaking his head amusedly at your expression. You must look like a complete crazy person right now, given how this night has been so far.

Your stomach sinks anxiously when you turn back to Jack to see the angry look on his face. He clenches his jaw and slams his staff onto the floor, sending a freezing blast of wind and frost across the room. You shiver despite the fact that you're still wearing your (f/c) coat, your hat, and gloves. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Bunny trembling on the newly-formed ice before slipping and falling onto his front.

All movement halts as Jack steps forward, his icy expression demanding the attention of everyone around him. _Oooooohh_ , he's _really_ pissed off. Once all is completely silent, he asks: "What makes you think I want to be a Guardian?"

There is a moment of a silence so deep you could hear a pin drop before Santa bursts into a fit of loud, boisterous laughter. Not even a split second later, he stops to look at Jack, completely stone-faced. "Of course you do." He waves his hands dramatically. "Music!"

The trumpets blare again, but Jack steps forward with his arms raised. "No music!" The music peters out again, and an angry elf to your right throws down his trumpet angrily and stalks out of the room. "Look, this is all very flattering," Jack begins, "but you don't want me. You're all hard work and deadlines, and I'm . . . snowballs and fun times."

You begin to inch your way back over to your friend, but duck as the Tooth Fairy flits by you. "Jack, I don't think you understand what it is we do." She gestures up to the globe. "Each of those lights is a child."

When you reach Jack, he looks at you and nods questioningly. You smile softly back, silently telling him you're okay. You look up at the globe together, taking in the enormity of the world. the both of you look back up at the globe, taking in the enormity of the world. Of course you knew that there are billions of people on the planet, but seeing all of those flickering lights and realizing that's only the children? It's a lot to process.

"A child who believes," Santa finishes the Tooth Fairy's sentence. "And good or bad, naughty or nice, we protect them." Jack walks away from the globe, glaring at his feet as he goes. "Okay, no more wishy-washy!" Santa huffs in frustration. Pitch is out there doing who knows what?"

You look back at him. "Wait, you mean the Boogeyman? He's real too?"

Santa nods. "Yes! And when he threatens us," he points at the globe, "he threatens them as well."

"But what can he do? He just gives people nightmares."

"(y/n), Pitch has more power than you could ever imagine." The Tooth Fairy flutters over to you, a grim expression on her beautiful face. "He could unravel what we do for the children like this." She snaps her fingers to demonstrate the time frame she's talking about, and your eyes widen.

"All the more reason to pick someone more qualified!" Jack protests.

"Pick?" North scoffs. "You think we pick? No, you were chosen like we were _all_ chosen." He points up at the skylight far above you. "By Man in Moon."

Your eyes widen in surprise, and you look at Jack. He's never told you his whole story, but you do know that the moon has a lot to do with who he and how he came to be.

"What?" your friend asks in a hush voice.

"Last night, Jack. He chose you," The Tooth Fairy confirms.

"Maybe," Bunny mutters bitterly.

Jack ignores both of them. "The Man in the Moon…" He looks up through the skylight at the awesome sight of the moon as it shines down on earth. "He talks to you?"

"You see, you cannot say no," Santa urges softly. "It is destiny."

"But, why wouldn't he tell Jack himself?" you ask. "This is a pretty big deal, isn't it?" Santa nods.

Jack's angry voice cuts through your conversation. "After three hundred years, this is his answer? To spend eternity like you guys, cooped up in some—some hideout thinking of new ways to bribe kids?" He chuckles darkly. "No, no. That's not for me!" A couple seconds later, he turns back to the Guardians, eyes softening. "No offense." He holds out his hand, and you scurry forward to take it. "C'mon, let's go."

"H-how is that not offensive?" The Easter Bunny's angry voice comes from behind you both as you begin your walk down the long corridor leading to, you're assuming, the exit. "You know what I think?" Bunny continues, "I think we just dodged a bullet. I mean, what's this clown know about bringing joy to children anyway?"

Jack freezes in his steps next to you, making you stop with him. Of course, after not speaking the whole time you've been here, Bunny had to go and say something that. You squeeze Jack's hand tighter, hoping to distract him from retaliating. "No Jack, don't. Let's just go." He ignores you and sets his jaw, letting go of your hand as he turns back to face the Easter Bunny. You roll your eyes. Great.

"Uh, ever hear of a snow day?" Jack asks. "I know it's no 'hard-boiled egg,' but kids like what I do."

"But none of 'em believe in you, do they?" Bunny jabs. He tilts his head toward you. "Except for this sheila here, you're invisible, mate. It's like you don't even exist."

Your heart sinks when you see Jack's head drop. He's doing his best not to look stung, but you see right through it. That's an incredibly sore spot for him. Your face screws up in anger and you clench your fists. "That's a pretty low blow for someone who lives to protect kids," you hiss, glaring at the bunny.

He raises his eyebrows and begins a retort, but The Tooth Fairy cuts him off: "Bunny! Enough."

"No, the kangaroo's right."

The Guardian of Hope takes a step back in surprise at Jack's off-hand comment. "The-the what? What did you call me? I'm not a kangaroo, mate."

Jack plays at nonchalance. "Oh, and all this time I thought you were! If you're not a kangaroo," he gets up into the Easter Bunny's face, "What are you?"

He narrows his eyes just as fiercely. "I'm a Bunny, mate. The Easter Bunny." As a last poke at Jack's self-esteem, he adds: "People believe in me."

That's the last straw for you. "Alright, enough," you order, stepping up to the conflict. You place one hand on Jack's chest, and the other on Bunny's and shove. Neither of them budge. Your eyes widen as you stand between the two boiling individuals. You give one more push, again to no give.

"Jack," North's voice cuts through the tension. You look over your shoulder to see the huge man step forward. "Walk with me."

Judging by the way he says it, you know Jack doesn't have much of a choice. It's more of a statement than a question. Bunny growls and stalks away to cool off, and you rip your hand off of Jack's chest after you realize it's still there. He looks at you questioningly, and you nod. "Go."

He smiles at you softly and jogs after North, who's already off walking down the corridor. He doesn't look back.


	4. Trouble

**_Guys, your reviews are GIVING ME LIFE! I'm so glad you are enjoying the story, because I am sure enjoying writing it! Thank you so much for the support, and if you want, spread the word about this story! It would mean so much._**

 ** _One of you asked if there would be a love triangle in this story, and here's my answer: I plan on extending this story past the movie, and there might be one there. We'll see. ;) I'm not really good at writing love triangles, so I might change my mind, but I have a small idea going on in my head that I'm playing with at the moment._**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy this next chapter!_**

* * *

"So what's your story?"

You glance up away from the mug of cocoa a blushing elf just handed you and up at the Tooth Fairy. "What do you mean?"

She considers you as she sips her own cup of cocoa. "You're what, sixteen? Seventeen?"

You nod. "Sixteen."

"Then how do you still believe in us? In Jack?"

"I'm honestly not sure. Is it that rare?"

She nods, and scoots closer to you on the couch she and you are sharing. Turns out there's another fireplace with a sitting area just down the hallway from where you met the Guardians, so that's where you all went. Sandy floats in the middle of the room on a giant golden cloud, dispersing dreams to the children of the world as best he can from the workshop.

When you followed Jack into that alley, you never would have expected it to lead you anywhere near something like this. You had known the Guardians were real, but . . . meeting them is an entirely different experience than believing in them.

"So, how did you two meet?" The Tooth Fairy inquires.

You hesitate for a moment before sighing. "If you don't mind, that's a story for another time."

She nods respectfully, the colorful feathers atop her head rustling as she does. "That's perfectly fine."

A moment of silence passes between the two of you and you breathe in shakily. "So, should I just call you 'The Tooth Fairy', or...?"

Her laugh tinkles like bells throughout the room. "Just Tooth."

"Oh, thank God." You chuckle nervously.

"And don't call North 'Santa,'" she adds. "Whenever Someone does, he ends up muttering in Russian for a week afterward." You nod, and the two of you giggle before settling into another silence, this one much more comfortable than the last.

Your brief reprieve allows you to see just how beautiful the Tooth Fairy really is. She is unlike any depiction the mass media has ever come up with. Due to how most of the good-hygiene commercials depict the Tooth Fairy as a woman in a white dress with fluffy fairy wings, you would have never guessed she'd look anything like she actually does.

As she lowers her head to take another sip of her drink, you see that the feathers of her arms end at about the wrist before dissolving into slim, delicate hands. The yellow plume at the center of her head dips gently and the rest of the gorgeous feathers on her crown ripple with every little movement, just like hair would. Her eyes are a beautiful violet color, with lashes that round out exotically at their ends, and subtle pink eyelids. Beautiful green feathers extend from her forehead and her ears up before fading into deep blue and purple at the nape of her neck. Small yellow feathers loop around where the hairline would be on the back of a human's neck.

She has a tail of many long, purple feathers that give the illusion of a skirt, almost like a peacock's tail. But the most intriguing part of her form are her iridescent dragonfly wings that are now lying still at her back, except for the occasional twitch. When she's flying, they flutter so fast that it's only a whir of color behind her, like a hummingbird. She is beautiful and exotic, and you can't help but feel a twinge of jealousy despite her kindness to you.

Shaking off that unexpected feeling, you smile at Tooth. "Anyway, I babysit regularly. That could be some of the reason why I still believe in you guys."

"True." Tooth nods and places a hand over yours. "You're a very nice girl, (y/n). I'm glad to have met you."

Sandy turns around on his cloud, and smiles cheekily, giving you a thumbs-up that makes you giggle before turning back to his work. "Thank you. I'm glad to have met you guys too, though I'm still a little bit shocked."

Tooth laughs. "Understandable."

You lean closer to Tooth shoulders almost touching hers as you continue to observe Sandy. "I don't mean to be rude, but . . . does Sandy talk?"

Tooth smiles kindly at your question and shakes her head. "Sandy was mute in his past life, so . . . I guess it carried on to his after life as well. And I guess when you're the Guardian of Dreams you have to be quiet."

You look back up at Sandy. "He's very sweet. I had a friend who was mute, and they're usually the nicest people."

Tooth nods. "You don't want to see Sandy angry though. Not very fun." She winks, and you giggle. You're so glad Tooth and you have become friends.

You lean back in surprise when a lone Baby Tooth zooms past your face and chirps shrilly to Tooth. Your new friend's eyes widen in shock, and you jump when she suddenly drops her mug with a shatter. She says nothing before zipping up and out of the workshop through the skylight above.

You look up at Sandy, who looks just as befuddled as you are and he floats down to stand next to you. You stand up and look at Bunny, who is watching after Tooth, as if expecting her to return. "Bunny? What's going on?"

He shakes his head. "Something's wrong." He sniffs the air. "We have to find North."

He bounds off down the hall on all fours, and you sprint after him, doing your best to keep up his pace. Sandy glides smoothly at your side, and as you begin to pant, you're jealous of his ability to float above the ground. Bunny comes abruptly to a halt, and you barely stop yourself from smacking into him. Jack and North stand together in the middle of the room to your right and you notice Jack close his fist around something.

"We have a problem, mate," Bunny addresses North. "Trouble at the Tooth Palace."

North's eyes widen and he stalks powerfully out the door, pushing through you all before beginning to jog down the hallway. Bunny and Sandy follow after him, and you and Jack take up the rear. You want to ask Jack what he and North talked about, but this is neither the time nor the place.

Curse these immortals and their seemingly endless breath supply.

The five of you reach a large elevator, and North hits a big red button with a reindeer head on it before he opens the gate and ushers you all onto the platform. "Where are we going?" you yell as you rush after the others. "Why are we going down?"

North's voice booms back at you from up ahead: "The sleigh, of course!" Your eyes widen, and you glance at Jack, who doesn't seem too happy about the large man's answer. Sandy glances back at you, smiling playfully.

"No no no," Jack protests, "I am not going in a sleigh! No way!"

The Guardians ignore him, with the exception of Sandy grinning back at the both of you again, and the elevator begins to descend. After what has to be ten floors the lift jerks to a stop, and you're off running again down a hallway lined with stone. At the end sits a huge set of double doors. North pushes them open like they're nothing, and you follow behind him.

A pleasant chill envelops you as you walk further into the room, and your jaw drops when you see you're in a hall made of ice. Several yetis rush about, preparing the area for what you suppose must be the launching of the sleigh. Elves are running around too, but they don't seem to be doing anything useful. You turn around in a circle, trying to take it all in and dodge the working yetis as you do.

"This is amazing," you whisper. Jack glances at you and sighs before turning away.

"North!" he yells, doing his best to be heard over the room's chaos. "I told you, I'm not going with you guys! There's no way I'm climbing into some rickety old . . ."

He trails off as the sound of pounding hooves echoes around the cavern, coming from one end of the ice corridor on the left. Before you can prepare yourself for the sight, the giant reindeer appear barely being kept on the ground as they try to gallop into the air. Behind them, they pull forward a magnificent sleigh, and your eyes must be as wide as saucers now that you see the tricked-out hot rod of a sled.

The sleigh is constructed primarily of dark brown wood, but it is painted red, black, gold, and white at the end. A black diamond with a golden reindeer in the middle is painted right on the end of the sleigh, and there is another diamond in the middle adorned with a golden star. Shining tiles embroider along the top lines and huge red wings unfurl from the middle of the vehicle.

The sleigh comes to a standstill in front of your group, and you glance up at Jack, absolutely begging him to go with your eyes. North smirks down at Jack, whose jaw is set stubbornly as he stares at the ride, with a knowing twinkle in his eyes. You can't help but roll your eyes at his stubbornness and you take his arm gently in your hand. "Come on, Jack. When will we get to ride in Santa's sleigh again?" He glances down at you, and you sigh. "We have to help, and this is the quickest way. Please?"

Jack's eyes soften as he looks into your pleading (e/c) eyes and he holds up a finger. "Okay, one ride but that's it." You can't help but squeal as he hops aboard and he extends his hand out to help you in. You take it, allowing him to pull you up aboard the sleigh after him. There are three levels of seats in the back of the sleigh, and you take a seat on the second level next to Sandy. Jack stands to your right, and North takes a position at the reigns, right behind another, smaller globe that rotates lazily in the middle of the front hood.

"Bunny!" he booms, calling your attention to finally notice that one Guardian is missing. You look over to see Bunny still standing next to the sleigh, frozen. "Bunny, what are you waiting for?" North asks.

"I think my tunnels might be faster, mate. And, um, and safer." You can see him physically gulp from nerves, and can't help but let a small giggle slip before you're able to smother them.

North reaches over and hoists Bunny into the sleigh by the back of his boomerang holster. "Ah, get in. Buckle up!" You look around for seat belts, and notice there are none.

"Whoa whoa whoa, where are the bloody seat belts?" Bunny voices your sudden concern. You look over at him to see his forest green eyes wide with panic, as your (e/c) ones now probably are. You're going to be flying, there have to be seat belts. Right?

North laughs heartily as he wraps the reins around his thick arms. "That was just expression!" You begin to get nervous about this whole ordeal, and look up nervously at Jack, who is perched on the top of the sleigh. He shrugs, which doesn't make you feel a whole lot better. "Are we ready?" you hear North ask, and you glance over just in time to see a yeti frantically shaking his head no.

That solidifies your fears. Almost all of your previous excitement is now gone.

"Good! Let's go! Clear!" North shouts, ignoring the frantic yeti's attempts to stop him. He cracks the reins ("Hyah!") and the sleigh lurches forward. The momentum propels you into your seat's back with a thunk, and you grasp one of the golden handrails on the left side of the seat so you're steady. Elves and yetis scatter out of the way, and suddenly Jack is seated next to you, on the opposite end of the sleigh from Bunny.

Bunny, who is clutching the edge of the sleigh with his nails, absolutely terrified.

You hear Jack laugh next to you, and your nervousness gradually fades away. This is turning out to be fun rather fun, and you know Jack would never let you get hurt. Sandy throws his arms in the air like you're on a rollercoaster as the sleigh enters a corkscrew made of ice. You would be out of your seat by now if the sleigh wasn't magic, and if not for Jack's hand over your lap holding you down.

North looks over his shoulder at the four of you, beaming. "I hope you like the loop-tee-loops!"

Bunny gags. "I hope you like carrots!"

North ignores him once again. "Here we go!" Daylight appears up ahead and the sleigh shoots upwards off of a rickety wooden ramp, launching you into the bright blue, arctic sky. Jack whoops as the reindeer climb higher and higher and you turn around in your seat to watch the magnificent North Pole fade into the distance. Who knows if you'll ever see it again.

Jack perches back up on the top portion of the lashing and he grins mischievously. You frown. This can't be good.

"Hey Bunny, check out this view—" he cuts off with a scream, and every memory of Jack flying in front of you suddenly seems to exit your mind as you watch him tumble over the railing.

"Jack!" you shriek, scrambling up onto the seat and leaning over the railing. You feel Bunny arrive next to you only to see Jack lounging on one of the sleigh's skis, staff drifting lazily in the wind. He smiles cockily and focuses on Bunny as he coos, "Aw, you do care."

Bunny's green eyes narrow at Jack's antics. "Ah, rack off ya bloody show pony!" Jack snickers and floats back up to the sleigh, sitting in your previous spot. You let go of the railing and plop down next to him, giving him a solid hit to the arm. "Ow!"

"Don't scare me like that!" you yell. "I know you can fly, but I'm still a human."

He abandons rubbing his sore shoulder to put a comforting hand on your leg. "I'm sorry, snowflake. It won't happen again."

"Hold on, everyone!" North yells, taking Jack's attention off of you. You're grateful that he doesn't see you blush—He's never called you snowflake before. "I know a shortcut!" North adds. He takes something out of his pocket, and when you lean just the right way, you see that it's a spherical snow globe.

He holds it up to his mouth, winking at you teasingly before whispering, "I say . . . Tooth Palace." An image of a colorful palace with beautiful, exotic architecture appears in the globe, and North throws the sphere far in front of the sleigh. A giant vortex appears in your path and you gasp in surprise. North cracks the reins once more before driving towards the portal.

A surreal light surrounds the sleigh as it hits hyper-drive and gets sucked through the vortex with a loud whoosh. After a couple of seconds, the lights disappear, and you peer past the reindeer to see the life-sized version of the palace that appeared in the snow globe. It's beautiful—A palace of colorful columns and small houses carved into a hollowed out mountain.

"Do you see that?" Jack's leaning forward slightly in his seat, blue eyes narrowed in concentration. You originally think he's just talking about the palace but when you follow his gaze, you notice the streaks of black fleeing toward you. "What is that?" he mumbles. You shake your head.

Before you can figure it out, you find yourself surrounded by hundreds of black horses, and thousands of terrified Baby Teeth jetting past. It's like a meteor storm. North yanks on the reins and the sleigh veers sharply to the right to dodge the oncoming slew of obstructions, and you roll out of your seat. You nearly tumble out of the sleigh, but Sandy grabs your hand just in time. He pulls you down to the floor just in time to miss being hit by a crowd of fairies and one of the horses. Bunny crouches next to you on the floor, green eyes taking in your surroundings with confusion.

"They're taking the tooth fairies!" Jack shouts. You glance up just in time to see him fly out of the sleigh, chasing after a lone fairy with one of the black creatures snapping at its heels. He snatches it out of the air just in time before descending back down to you. He crouches next to you, cradling the small, colorful bird in his palms. The poor thing is trembling with fear and you lean over his shoulder to get a better view. "Hey, little baby tooth," he coos, "you okay?"

She nods and titters softly up at him, and suddenly the sleigh enters the vast chamber of the Tooth Palace. Millions of boxes are housed by pillars and columns stacked from floor to ceiling. North spots a horse up ahead, and gestures for Jack to take the reins. "Here." Surprised, Jack passes the still-shaking Baby Tooth to you and steps forward, taking control of the sleigh. Bunny barely has time to protest before Jack grins and snaps the reins.

You hold Baby Tooth carefully and watch North ready his sword, slicing through an oncoming horse. It disintegrates into black sand, covering the bottom of the sleigh. You frown at the golden cylinders that spilled out of its body. "What are those?" you ask.

"They're stealing the teeth!" Bunny shouts loudly. _The teeth?_

You stand up and out of your crouch, holding onto the side of the sleigh with one hand for balance. The other clutches Baby Tooth to your chest.

You don't notice Bunny and Sandy exchange a concerned look at the black sand.

"Jack, look out!" North's voice cuts through the wind.

Whipping your head around, you see the sleigh is heading right toward a giant magenta pillar. You scream as Jack yanks up on the reins, narrowly missing the column and barreling to a nearby platform. The sleigh skids to a rough halt on the beautiful tiled floor, and you're propelled backwards, hitting your head on the first row of seats. A sharp pain erupts in the back of your skull and you groan.

When you open your eyes a couple seconds later, you see Tooth fluttering high above you in a panic. You look down at your chest to make sure Baby Tooth is still there cupped in your hand, but your palm is empty. Gasping, you forget the pain in your head and struggle to your feet, searching frantically for the fairy.

Jack suddenly appears in front of you and grasps your shoulders. "(y/n), are you okay?" he asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine," you reply distractedly. "Where's Baby Tooth? I can't find her!"

"She's fine," Jack assures you. "She's in my hood." You sag in relief and let your forehead drop onto his collarbone, all of the fear and adrenaline from the past couple of minutes disappearing. He wraps his arms loosely around your shoulders.

"You know," you start, "when I was little and I imagined meeting Santa and the Easter Bunny . . . this was not what I expected." Jack chuckles, and you pick your head up off of his chest to smile at him.

"Tooth!" North yells. "Are you alright?"

Jack and you look away from each other and back at Tooth, who is still flying back and forth in a panic. "They-they took my fairies!" she yells, eyes wide with shock. "And the teeth! Everything is gone!" She sags to the floor, sinking onto her knees as her wings droop in defeat. "Everything."

The other Guardians rush forward to comfort her but you and Jack stay behind. The two of you step out of the sleigh and watch the four of them somberly. Watching their close dynamic, you can't help but feel that you're intruding in some way or another. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Baby Tooth pop her small head out the top of Jack's hood, scanning her surroundings curiously. She catches sight of her mistress and shoots out of his hood with an excited twitter.

Tooth's face visibly brightens upon the Baby Tooth's appearance, and she holds out her hands for her to land in. "Oh, thank goodness! One of you is alright!"

Despite the display of hope in front of you, a sudden sense of fear and unease overwhelms you, and you stumble back slightly. Jack catches your hand. "(y/n), what's wrong?"

"I don't know," you mutter. Your whole body is suddenly incredibly tense and a feeling of fear grips your heart. You grit your teeth and clutch your head at the sharp pain that seems to cut right through your brain. "My head," you groan.

A voice that sounds like silk, yet still manages to make you feel like you're being poked by a thousand needles, emerges from all around you, filling the open chamber: _"I have to say, this is very, very exciting."_

You, Jack, and the four guardians all look up at a dark figure standing on one of the platforms above you. A thin, sickly-looking man in a black cloak stands looking down at all of you, a pleasant smile adorning his gray, pointed face. His very appearance is like a living nightmare and you shiver as his yellow eyes flicker over you.

You could swear you've seen those eyes before.

You know who this is. "You're the Boogeyman," you find yourself whispering.

"Pitch Black," Jack growls.

* * *

 ** _Alright, let me know what you think of chapter four! This one was one of my favorites to write. If you have any ideas/suggestions for the story, please let me know! I absolutely love hearing from you guys._**

 _ **By the way, I have a tumblr account called** fandom-what-ifs **that is completely dedicated to x Reader oneshots/stories! I write for just about every fandom on there, including Rise of the Guardians! If you have a tumblr, go ahead and give me a look! I have a couple of Jack Frost x Reader oneshots ;)**_

 ** _Review please!_**


	5. The Palace

Pitch's mouth curves into a thin smile, leering evilly down at the Guardians. "The Big Four, all in one place. I'm a little star-struck." North straightens up to his full height defiantly, and Pitch sneers at the show of strength. You gulp when you see that his yellow teeth are all pointed and cracked.

Pitch recovers quickly and his face melts back into one of serene indifference. "Did you like my show on the globe, North?" North frowns and shares a confused glance with Bunny. "Got you all together, didn't I?" Pitch sings.

You gasped when Tooth darts up to Pitch, shaking with fury. He melts into the shadows before she can reach him.

"Pitch!" her voice is shrill as she whips around in search of the man. "You have thirty seconds to return my fairies, or—"

 _"Or what?"_ Pitch's voice growls from all around you once again. "You'll stick a quarter under my pillow?" His previous pleasantness is gone from his voice, and you find yourself back to back with Sandy as you all try to locate the enemy. You don't like not being able to see him.

"Why are you doing this?" North asks.

 _"Maybe I want what you all have,"_ Pitch's voice echoes. _"To be believed in."_

Your swallow uneasily and glance at Jack, whose blue eyes are blown wide as he grips his staff tightly in a defensive position. Past Jack, you suddenly see the darkness of shadows accumulating behind a column into a single, black form that steps out into the light. Your breath shakes when you gasp. "Jack."

Jack turns back toward you and follows your line of sight to Pitch. He flies forward and puts himself between the two of you, raising his staff a tad higher. Pitch smirks at the both of you before disappearing once again with a wiggle of his fingers.

 _"Maybe I'm tired of hiding under beds,"_ Pitch's echoing voice continues. Jack backs up toward you and takes your hand. You grip his fingers tighter.

"Maybe that's where you belong," Bunny growls.

"Ugh, go suck an egg, rabbit." You look up and see him hanging upside-down on the platform above you like a bat. Bunny sneers and crouches down, swiping his boomerang at the now-empty space.

 _"Hang on,"_ You inch closer to Jack, not liking how the source of Pitch's voice sounds like it's edging ever closer. _"Who is that beauty?"_ Jack's jaw tightens. "And is that . . . Jack Frost?" He snickers evilly, and you can't help but cringe at the sound. "Since when are you all so chummy?"

Jack turns away, scanning your surroundings for any sign of the shadow. "We're not," he disagrees.

"Oh, good," you whirl around to see Pitch standing in the middle of a column with his head leaning on his hand. "Then I'm going to ignore you. But, you must be used to that by now." He grins wickedly and disappears once again. Your blood practically boils with anger. Despite your determination to remain unafraid, unwelcome fear still lingers in the back of your head. That must be Pitch's power.

Your eyes widen as you feel the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. You gulp and turn around slowly to see Pitch standing not even a foot away from you. You feel like his yellow eyes can see right into your soul, but you can't find it in yourself to take a step back. He grins and raises his fingers threateningly. "Boo."

You scream and scramble backwards before he can make any physical attacks. Pitch's shadow melts away once again just in time to miss being assaulted by a blast of ice from Jack's staff. He reappears again on another platform, and you shiver as you notice he's still staring at you. "We will meet again, dear."

"The hell we will, you bastard!" you scream back up at him.

He tsks and shakes his finger. "Language, young lady. Didn't your parents teach you manners?" Your eyes widen and you feel tears well up in your eyes. Jack grits his teeth next to you and looks over at Bunny. They both share the same deadly look and nod.

"Pitch!" Bunny roars, bounding quickly up a column and over to Pitch, who is already gone. "You shadow-sneaking rat-bag! Come here!"

Tooth spots him next. She takes one of Bunny's boomerangs out of the holster on his back, and screams a battle cry as she races towards Pitch. He smiles at her, as if amused by her attempt, and before she can get too close, a huge version of the black horses you saw earlier materializes in front of her. It rears up on its hind legs, and Tooth scrambled back just in time to avoid being kicked. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Baby Tooth take cover in Jack's hood once again.

"Whoa! Easy, girl, easy." Pitch strokes the horse's mane in a soothing manner, though you find nothing soothing about it. The huge horse is still snuffing heavily, and Pitch twirls a wisp of black sand around in his palm, turning towards Sandy. "Look familiar, Sandman? Took me a while to perfect this little trick: Turning dreams into Nightmares."

You look around at the faces of the other Guardians, taking in their shock. Pitch seems to notice it too and his smug expression broadens. "Don't be nervous—It only riles them up more. They smell fear, you know."

"What fear?" Bunny laughs incredulously and points a boomerang at Pitch. "Of you?! No one's been afraid of you since the Dark Ages."

His yellow eyes flash with anger before he smiles, drifting away into nostalgia. "Oh, the Dark Ages. Everyone frightened. Miserable. Such happy times for me, oh, the power I wielded!" His serene face morphs back into one of anger and disgust. "But then the Man in the Moon chose you to replace my fear with your wonder and light! Lifting their hearts, and giving them _hope_!"

Pitch scoffs. "Meanwhile, everyone wrote me off as just a bad dream. 'Oh, there's nothing to be afraid of! There's no such thing as the Boogeyman!' He leans forward and snarls, "Well, that's all about to change."

A loud bang sounds to your right and you look over to see one of the columns of the Palace has a huge fissure running up its length. The bright tiles seem to be decaying into nothing but powder. "Oh, look," Pitch says pleasantly. "It's happening already."

Tooth draws closer to you, eyes wide with shock as she watches her whole world begin to crumble around her. "What is?" you ask. You look back up at Pitch. "What's happening?"

Pitch smiles. "Children are waking up and realizing the Tooth Fairy never came. Lifting pillows and finding their baby teeth still there." He shrugs nonchalantly. "I mean, such a little thing, but to a child . . ."

You step closer to Tooth, as if to comfort her, but she's floating several feet above your reach. "They don't believe in me anymore," she whispers.

"Didn't they tell you, Jack? It's great being a Guardian, but there's a catch." He holds up a finger. "If enough kids stop believing, everything your friends protect—wonder and hope and dreams—it all goes away. And little by little . . ." His smile broadens, ". . . so do they." Jack steps up next to you, and the both of you lock eyes, equally shocked.

"No Christmas," Pitch continues, "or Easter, or little fairies that come in the night. There will be nothing but fear and darkness, and . . . me. It's your turn not to be believed in!"

"You're a monster," you mumble, shaking your head in shock.

He sneers. "Oh, darling...I invented them."

Bunny shouts and hurls both of his boomerangs at Pitch but he ducks just in time that they sail over his head and around one of the chamber columns. Pitch jumps on the back of his Nightmare and it gallops down into the depths of the palace. The Guardians take off in pursuit and Jack runs from your side to dive after them.

"Wait!" you yell, scrambling behind them. You rush forward and drop to your knees at the edge of the platform, clutching the tiles to keep your balance. The battle rages a couple of stories below and you watch as Bunny throws a few small projectiles at Pitch. They explode into dangerous pastel clouds right behind him, and then your friends disappear from your sight. The only remaining signs that they were there at all are the few wisps of colorful smoke still drifting around below you. You struggle to your feet and run around the circumference of the platform, trying to find a way down, or at least a way to see where they went.

"You don't remember me, do you?"

You yelp and whirl around, almost toppling backward into the air in your fright. Pitch is about ten feet away, golden eyes considering you curiously. His hands are clasped behind his back and he tilts his head slightly to the side. You shift uncomfortably under his gaze, not mustering up the courage to glare—you know you're powerless against him alone. "Why should I?"

The corners of his mouth lift slightly in amusement and you swallow nervously, trying not to show your fear on the outside, although you're sure he can feel it regardless. "I can promise you that you will . . . in time." You watch in confusion as he dissolves into shadows.

Only seconds later, Jack flies up from below you and lands less-than-gracefully to your right. "(y/n)!" He rushes towards you and pulls you into a tight hug. "Are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?" He places his right hand on your cheek, blue eyes frantic as he scans you for possible injuries.

You recover from your shock and grip Jack's sweatshirt, reassuring yourself that he's here, right in front of you. Your fear disappears just from his mere presence. "I'm fine, Jack, I promise. Are you okay?"

He doesn't reply, but instead sighs in relief and wraps his arms around you again. Your eyes widen a little bit before you hug him back just as tightly. You're surprised at how warm his embrace is, but you're certainly not complaining. Being in his arms feels nice, especially now. You feel his nose press into the crook of your neck.

"You shouldn't have to be involved in this," he murmurs into your shoulder. "You're all I have."

Your heart constricts at just how honest his words are and push away from him reluctantly so you can look him in the eye. His arms stay around your waist and his staff bumps gently into the back of your head from where he holds it behind you. You sigh softly and brush his fringe back off of his forehead so it looks slightly less unkept. You consider telling him about Pitch, but seeing his worried expression, you realize it would just make him feel worse.

You settle with saying: "Well, I'm here now. I'm not leaving you anytime soon." The corner of his mouth twitches into a small smile and he nods. Only then do you notice just how close the two of you are standing—His face is only inches from yours. The two of you have hugged before, but something about this one feels . . . more intimate. Cheeks flaming, you clear your throat and take a step back out of his embrace. "Uh, where are the others?" His cheeks redden slightly too.

"Oh, um . . ." He runs a hand through his hair. "They're down by a lagoon. Come on."

The both of you are still blushing when he wraps his arms around your waist again. You wrap your arms around his neck for extra security, and he propels the both of you off of the platform and down to the ground below.

 **This is not my favorite chapter so far, but it was a difficult scene to write! Please let me know what you think and review! Love you all.**


	6. The Lagoon

You kneel down hesitantly next to Tooth. "I'm so sorry about the fairies," you whisper. She smiles tiredly, and you realize her purple eyes look darker than when you first met her. You can't blame her. All of you have been through a lot, but Tooth especially.

She sighs. "You should have seen them. They put up such a fight."

The colorful feathers on the top of her hand brush your skin softly when you take her hand in yours. The blue-green water of the lagoon laps gently against the shore. You gaze out to the rock wall on the other side. A soft breeze blows cherry blossoms around you, but you can't find it in yourself to relax. It's so peaceful in such a restless time. Almost too peaceful. .

You frown. You can understand why Pitch would take the fairies, but why the teeth? _What does the Boogeyman want with a bunch of teeth?_

"It's not the teeth that he wants," Tooth says softly, making you jump. You hadn't realized you'd spoken out loud. "It's the memories inside of them," she continues.

"Memories?" You tilt your head up to see Jack has joined the both of you. He's looking down at Tooth confusedly. "Memories in teeth?"

Tooth flutters up from her seated position slowly and begins to float across the pond. You scramble to your feet as Jack starts to follow her, creating beautiful ice as he walks across the pond. However, you stay on shore. You trust Jack, but that ice looks a little too thin for your liking. And anyways, you can still hear Tooth from here.

"That's why we collect the teeth, Jack. They hold the most important memories of childhood." She gestures up to a large mural that was blocked from your view by the tree. "My fairies and I watch over them, and when someone needs to remember what's important, we help them."

Your eyes widen. _With a couple of teeth, you could see your brother again._

Tooth interrupts your train of thought when she flies back over to where you're standing. Jack follows, and the ice beneath his feet slowly retracts as he goes. _Huh. You didn't know he could do that._ "We had everyone's here." Tooth smiles softly down at Jack. "Yours too."

You raise your eyebrows. "What?"

Jack stumbles over his words. "My memories?"

She nods. "From when you were young. Before you became Jack Frost."

Your (e/c) eyes lock with Jack's wide, icy blue ones. "But . . . I wasn't anyone before I was Jack Frost," he mumbles, not once looking away from you. You step forward and take his hand, but Tooth just laughs, completely oblivious to the both of yours shock.

"Of course you were, we were all someone before we were chosen."

North laughs heartily to your right, and you glance away from Jack to see him pointing at Bunn. "You should have seen Bunny!" Sandy chuckles silently, and Bunny growls.

"I told you never to mention that!"

Suddenly, something in your brain clicks. Jack had told you his story a million times, but one part had never made sense to you. "Jack, you came out of the pond. What if—"

He shakes his head, dropping your hand as he steps closer to Tooth. "Are you saying—are you saying I had a life before that? With a home? And a family?"

She frowns and locks eyes with you briefly over Jack's shoulder. You shake your head to confirm you and Jack have no idea what she's talking about. Her eyes widen before focusing back on Jack. "You really don't remember?"

He walks away from you and runs his hand through his messy white hair. "Jack, if we get your teeth, then we'll know what happened to you," you say.

His head lifts up in acknowledgement to your words, and he summons the wind to float himself over the lagoon. "You have to show me!" He exclaims.

Tooth looks up at Jack with sorry eyes. "I—I can't, Jack. Pitch has them." By now, the other three guardians have joined you in watching the commotion.

Jack frowns for a moment before grinning and landing quickly on top of a boulder overlooking all of you. "Then we have to get them back!"

A pricking noise sounds to your right, and you notice something colorful appear in the corner of your eye. You look up at Tooth to see a group of her beautiful feathers floating down to the ground. "Oh no!" She drops down to the ground and stumbles for a second before regaining her footing. Bunny rushes forward and takes her shoulder, helping to steady her. A strange, grating sound echoes across the lagoon, and you turn around to see that the beautiful mural across the water is beginning to disintegrate just like the columns of the palace were. "The children . . . We're too late," Tooth mutters hopelessly.

"No!" You practically jump out of your skin at North's booming voice over your shoulder. "No such thing as too late!"

Jack lands softly down next to you. He leans on his staff and looks at you skeptically before turning back to watch North. The large man's hands are at his temple's as he thinks, pacing back and forth with a concentrated expression on his face. "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait . . ." His huge blue eyes suddenly pop open and he grins gleefully. "Idea!" he yells, pointing one of his swords at Bunny's nose, who flinches back in annoyance.

You look at Jack with raised eyebrows, and he does the same. The both of you are thinking the same thing: This guy is crazy. North brandishes his swords around manically, pointing around at all of you. "We will collect the teeth!"

"Wait . . . I'm sorry, what?" you falter.

North points one of his swords directly at you, and you raise your eyebrows. "We get teeth," he moves the sword so it's pointed at the disbelieving Tooth, "children keep believing in you!"

Tooth struggles for coherent words. "We're talking seven continents, millions of kids!"

North scoffs confidently. "Give me break! You know how many toys I deliver in one night?"

"And eggs I hide in one day?" Bunny adds, stepping forward with crossed arms, smirking down at Tooth.

"And Jack," North starts, turning to you and him. "If you help us, we will get you your memories." His piercing blue gaze turns on you. "Yours too."

Jack places a hand on your shoulder and turns you so you're facing him. "You up for this?"

You look up and take a deep breath. The Tooth Palace's beautiful towers hover above you as you think. After a couple of seconds, you look back at Jack and smile playfully. "Why stop this adventure now?"

He grins and squeezes your arm before turning back to the Guardians. Sandy gives you an enthusiastic thumbs-up while Bunny just groans. Ignoring him, Jack smiles at North. "We're in."

* * *

 ** _Alright, that's chapter six! Hope you enjoy, let me know! Sorry it took me so long to update, but I've been CRAZY busy and our wifi has been acting up . . . I'll be posting another chapter tonight to make up for it! Review please!_**


	7. Searching for Teeth

The golden tendrils of sand wrapped around your lower legs shift with you as you and Sandy change direction, keeping you safely aboard his dream cloud. The both of you are flying quickly over a Middle-Eastern city after leaving Shanghai (which you cannot believe), and he is spreading dreams while the both of you are on the lookout for teeth. Over the past twelve hours, you've learned that the Sandman is the best multitasker you've ever met. The cloud suddenly slows to a stop, and the sand tendrils around your feet unravel so you can move freely about the surface of the cloud.

Sandy spreads his arms, and about a dozen streams of sand reach out and into the city. Baby Tooth emerges from your sweatshirt's pocket and hovers next to your ear. "You know, I've always wanted to see the world." You shake your head with a smile as you gaze down at the city. You turn your head and smirk back at Sandy. "But I never thought it would be like this."

He smiles and extends another tendril of sand out of the cloud. Something quick moves by on the rooftops below, andyou look down to see Bunny and Jack zipping down below. You laugh softly and shake your head. Their "race" has gotten a little out of hand.

Tilting your head to the side but never taking your eyes off of Jack and Bunny, you yell, "Hey, Sandy!" He's next to you in an instant and he laughs silently down at the two racing individuals. You giggle as Sandy circles his finger by his temple in the "crazy" gesture. "What do you say we join the race?" you ask.

He grins, and suddenly the cloud is moving again until it hovers over an apartment building. A golden tendril of sand extends right in front of you, and it materializes to form a rope with a loop at the end. Looking at Sandy, he gestures at you to take hold of the rope.

Instead of just wrapping your hand around it, you put your (dominant) foot through the loop and stand up with one hand wrapped around the rope by your chest, and the other by your head. Sandy understand what you're doing and slowly lowers you down so you're about one hundred feet below the sand cloud. Up ahead, you see a bright flash of blue light and then Bunny sliding down a rooftop on a sheet of ice. Jack leans casually on the patch of roof without ice, and plucks the tooth right out of the flailing pooka's hand.

You tilt your head up and yell up to the cloud, "Hey, Sandy, speed up!"

The little man complies, and you wrap your hand tighter around the golden rope for security. Jack holds the tooth out in front of him, waving it tauntingly down at the still-cursing Bunny. He doesn't even see you coming. Perfect. Once you're close enough, you lean to the side and pluck the tooth right out of Jack's hand. His eyes widen in shock, and he looks up to see you flying away on the rope, waving at him merrily. "Wha-(y/n)!"

"Bye!" you yell, grinning at his playfully angry face. A trail of sand comes down in front of you, and the end of it morphs into a hand. You place the tooth safely inside, watching it clench its fist before retracting back up to Sandy.

You and Sandy collect teeth for the next hour, and you'd like to say you'd collected a lot (you've filled quite a bit of one of North's magical sacks). Baby Tooth is a big help, adding to your bag every time she finds one. You're glad she's taken a liking to you. Not only because of that, but because she's good company.

A while later, the five of you plus Baby Tooth are in New York City. You stand on a rooftop, holding up your bags proudly for Tooth to see. You can tell that she's overwhelmed by your collective effort, which makes your smile even wider. Her violet eyes practically glow with joy and hope, which only increases yours.

"Wow!" she praises. "You guys collect teeth and leave gifts as fast as my fairies!" Jack, North, and Bunny cringe collectively from next to you, and you look over at them.

Jack locks eyes with you guiltily, and you sigh. "What did you guys do?" All three of their heads' sink in embarrassment. You can't help it—you burst out laughing. "You guys are so stupid!"

* * *

Sandy's cloud glides over Burgess, and you smile at the familiar rooftops. "Drop me at 433 Fremont ST," you say. "The boy I babysit lost a Tooth today."

Nodding, Sandy turns the cloud southwest, and you glide in that direction until you're above the Bennet's house. Once again, Sandy lowers you down to the window on the golden rope. You balance on the windowsill carefully and open Jamie's unlocked window as quietly as possible before stepping inside. Jamie is smiling in his sleep, revealing his brand new gap. Tooth sits on the edge of the bed, smiling softly down at him.

"Left central incisor, knocked out by a freak sledding accident." Tooth smiles up at you knowingly. "I wonder how that could have happened."

You smile and sit on the other side of Jamie's bed, brushing his bangs back just like you had earlier that night. "Jack saved his life today, according to what I could gather from Jamie's story. Pretty sure he was also part of his near-death experience."

"You know him?"

Nodding, you look up at Tooth. "I babysit him and his sister."

She smiles and flutters up from her seated position until she's hovering right above Jamie. "Why did I ever stop doing this?" she whispers. You smile softly at her words, and she looks over at you. "I promise, when we get the teeth back, I'll give you yours so you can see your brother again."

Your face falls briefly, and you look away from her and back at Jamie. Of course the Guardians would know, I mean, they're the Guardians. "Thank you."

Tooth smiles empathetically and nods, turning her gaze away from you. "Thanks for being here, (y/n). I'm pretty sure you're the only reason Jack agreed to help." You shake your head no at her words, and she smiles. "I see the way he looks at you. You guys have something special."

Sighing, you hug yourself tighter. "He's my best friend, and I'm his only believer. How could we not?"

Tooth opens her mouth to object and tell you her true meaning, but Jack interrupts as he enters through the window. "Hey, guys!" You both shush him simultaneously, and he raises his hands in surrender. "Sorry," he whispers. He looks down at Jamie and grins, leaning his staff against the wall before sauntering over so he's kneeling next to where you sit by the bed. "I remember you."

You snort, giggling at your friend. Tooth shushes you both again, but can't help but join in the laughing as she does. Before the three of you can get louder, a new whisper-yell sounds from the window: "Here you are!"

North squeezes through the window with his bag of teeth, closely followed by Sandy and Baby Tooth, who flutters over and lands on your shoulder. The large man walks over to Tooth, who is now kneeling on the ground, and grins at her. "How you feeling, Toothy?"

She squeals and flutters up to his height. "Believed in!"

North laughs. "That's what I want to hear!"

"Oh, I see how it is." You look over in surprise as Bunny hops out of a rabbit hole in the floorboards next to you. "All working together to make sure the rabbit gets last place."

You stand up when Jack does. "You think I need help to beat a bunny? Check it out, Peter Cottontail." He lifts up his sack of teeth, and you roll your eyes at his competitiveness. Boys.

"You call that a bag of choppers?" Bunny lifts a sack that's significantly larger than Jack's. "Now that's a bag of choppers." Jack's eyes narrow in annoyance.

North raises his hands. "Gentlemen, gentlemen! This is about Tooth. It's not a competition. But if it was . . ." He pulls out a huge sack of teeth. "I win. YEEEEEAAAHH!" He yells, dancing around the room in celebration.

You're about to shush him, but it's already too late. A bright circle of light is already cast on the Guardians. You whirl around to face Jamie, who is sitting up in bed, holding a flashlight. Wide awake. "Oh no . . ." you mumble.

Jamie's brown eyes are as wide as saucers, and he's beaming in disbelief. "Santa Claus? The Easter Bunny? Sandman?" He trains his flashlight on each of them in turn. "The Tooth Fairy! I knew you'd come!"

"Surprise!" Tooth squeals, giggling awkwardly. "We came!"

Jamie looks around the group once again, looking past Jack so he catches sight of you. He frowns confusedly and tilts his head to the side. "(y/n)?"

You smile sheepishly. "Hey, Jamie."

Jack steps forward hopefully. "He can see us?"

Deciding you're not the most important thing happening at the moment, Jamie looks around the group again, smile growing wider and wider at each turn. His eyes significantly skip over Jack's place in the room, and you step up next to your friend, putting your hand comfortingly on his shoulder.

"Most of us," Bunny mumbles. You notice he almost sounds sympathetic.

Tooth shushes him. "You guys, he's still awake."

Bunnymund looks at Sandman and nods. "Sandy, knock him out."

Sandy nods and punches his fist into his hand, walking towards Jamie. The young boy looks concerned. "Huh?"

You let go of Jack and jump in front of the bed, arms extended outward as if to protect him. "You're seriously just going to knock out a little kid?" you whisper-yell. "I thought you were supposed to protect them!"

Bunny rolls his eyes. "With dreamsand, ya gumby." Suddenly, he flinches back, and you turn around slowly to see Abbey—the Bennets' dog—advancing on him, nostrils flared and fully awake.

"No, stop, that's the Easter Bunny!" Jamie yells. "Abbey, down!"

"Abbey!" you say sweetly, hoping she'll recognize your voice. "Do you want a treat, girl? Huh?" She doesn't even falter at your bait.

Jack grins, obviously enjoying this. "That's a greyhound. Do you know what greyhounds do to rabbits?"

You hit him on the shoulder. "You're not helping!"

Bunny smiles, trying to keep his cool despite how nervous he obviously is. "I think it's pretty safe to bet he's never met a rabbit like me." Sandy begins to form a dreamsand ball out of the corner of your vision. "Six foot one, nerves of steel, master of tai chi and the ancient art of—"

You jump when Jamie's alarm clock blares to life behind you. Whirling around, you see Jack standing with his staff outstretched towards the dresser. He shrugs innocently under your accusing eyes.

"Crikey," Bunny whimpers. And then he's off like a shot running laps around the small room with Abbey right on his tail, barking like crazy. Tooth flies over to the dresser, doing her best to silence the alarm clock, while Jack is just leaning against the wall, barely containing his laughter. You hit him on the arm again, then see Sandy take aim at Bunny and Abbey, who are running circles around him. Abbey bumps into Sandy on the next time around, and the ball of Dreamsand goes flying. North ducks out of the way as the ball sails towards him, and the ball smacks Tooth right in the face, exploding into a shower of gold dust.

Tooth, who is right above you.

You barely have time to hold out your arms before Tooth drops on top of you, pinning you to the ground. The golden shapes of teeth take shape over her head. "Jack!" you yell, pushing at Tooth's heavy body. For such a small thing, she's heavy. It must be her wings. "I'm gonna kill you!"

Bunny is the next to get a whiff of the golden sand, and he falls right next to you, an image of dancing carrots forming over his head. Abbey falls right behind him. For a moment, you're glad you're on the ground, and not within the sand's range. Despite how tired you are, falling asleep at a time like this is not appealing.

North tries to scramble out of the way of the fatiguing mist, but there's no escape in such a small room. He teeters for a moment as Dreamsand candy canes appear before him, then falls with a huge thud on the end of Jamie's bed, catapulting him into the air. Jamie cries out, and you yell his name, pushing at Tooth's unconscious body to no give. Luckily, he lands in Sandy's outstretched arms. The young boy starts to get up again, but Sandy hits him with a fistful of sand, and suddenly he's out cold.

You let your head fall to the floor with a thunk, listening intently for the sound of Mr. or Mrs. Bennet coming down the hall. After a couple of seconds, you deem all is quiet, and you let out a sigh of relief.

As carefully as possible, you slowly ease Tooth's heavy body off of you and stand up. Jack is by your side in an instant. "You okay?" You nod, and he smiles.

Then you hit him for a third time—hard.

"Ow!"

"You idiot! Look at what you did!" you whisper-yell, looking around at the heap of snoring bodies. Bunny is snuggled up next to North, and a carrot and candy canes hold hands as they dance above their heads.

Jack rubs the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly. "Whoops . . ." Sandy floats down next to North and lifts his arm. It falls back down with a thump when he lets go—completely limp. The small man smiles at Jack and chuckles silently. Jack laughs back. "Oh, I really wish I had a camera right now."

Jack glances at you, and your angry resolve crumbles at the hilarity before you. You dissolve into laughter, covering your mouth as you do your best to laugh as quietly as possible. A warm burst of air hits the back of your neck and you freeze, all of your glee gone. Turning around slowly, you see a Nightmare standing right behind you.

It whinnies right in your face and you stumble backwards, screaming. Jack catches hold of your shoulders as you stumble into him. The black horse snorts once more before disappearing out the window. You rush to the window, gripping the sill as you look down the street after the horse. "It's headed to the center of town."

Jack flies out the window and hovers in front of it. "Sandy, c'mon! We can find Pitch!" He takes off down the street, and you pull away from the window for a moment to look at Sandy.

The little man shrugs and floats quickly out the window. He conjures up his cloud almost immediately, and then he's gone taking off down the street. "Wait!" you yell after them. But neither of them hear you, and instead you watch them fly down the street after the nightmare, before they disappear completely from your sight.

Your head pops up when you hear a bouncing sound behind you. You whirl around with your hands raised in defense just in case, only to see Sophie standing in front of one of North's portals, smiling dreamily. "No no no no no, Sophie!" you yell, rushing forward.

She doesn't even look at you as she walks into the portal. Just as you jump to grab her, the vortex sucks her in, taking her to who knows where. You land on the ground with a thud right where she disappeared, groaning at the sudden force on your elbows. Cursing silently, you stand up and look around at the room of sleeping Guardians—and Jamie.

Now what?

* * *

 _ **Chapter 7! Not really a fan of the ending of this one, but IT'S ALRIGHT! Let me know what you think, lovelies!**_


	8. Sandy

**_Thank you so much for the reviews! Trust me, the more reviews this story gets, the faster it will be updated. :)_**

* * *

You look down the street after where Jack and Sandy went, scuffing the pavement with your boots. "Now what?" you ask. The three remaining Guardians regard you sleepily from where they stand to your left. All of their eyes are still incredibly unfocused from sleep, which doesn't help your cause, and it certainly doesn't comfort you.

"North!" you shout, making the old man jump. "Where's the sleigh?"

His eyes light up with newfound energy and he snaps his fingers. "Ah! One moment." Fishing around in one of his coat pockets, he pulls out a wooden whistle shaped like a reindeer. He winks at you once before raising the whistle to his lips and blowing hard. No noise comes out except for a faint hissing—like a dog whistle.

Seconds later, you hear the jingle of sleigh bells coming from behind you. You turn around to see the sleigh barreling down the street towards you, and you take a few steps back. It slides to an abrupt stop right in front of you, and you're so close to the reindeer you can feel their hot breath. "Climb aboard," North says, gesturing up into the sleigh. You pat one of the reindeer's noses before running around to the side of the sleigh and pulling yourself in. You position yourself so you're standing next to North by the reins. Tooth joins the both of you at the front, while Bunny steps back and lays across the seat, promptly falling asleep again.

"Which way did they go?" Tooth asks you.

You point in the direction the reindeer are facing. "That way, towards the center of town."

North nods and cracks the reins, and you hold on tightly to the railing as the sleigh shoots into the sky. Because she's still so groggy, the force of the take-off knocks Tooth backwards. She lands on Bunny, who shouts and shoots awake. She winces before shaking her head and flying back to the front of the sleigh on North's other side. When she catches you looking at her with an amused grin, she smiles sheepishly.

The sleigh makes the flight to Burgess's downtown in less than a minute. You fix your gaze on the streets below, scanning for any sign of Jack and Sandy. After a couple of seconds, you spot them in the middle of Main Street.

Surrounded by hundreds of nightmares.

"There!" you yell, pointing down at your two friends. North cracks the reins again, and the reindeer angle down towards the conflict. As you get closer to the ground, your heart plummets when you notice you're not pulling up. Looking to your left, you see North has fallen asleep on the globe, Tooth draped over him. Your eyes widen. "North!" you scream. He doesn't hear you over the wind, and you begin to panic.

Leaning over frantically, you lift his huge arms and do your best to unravel the reins from around them. After a couple of seconds, you give up on the violent tugging and lean over the front of the sleigh. You reach for the section of reins just in front of the sleigh and just behind the reindeers' galloping feet. The leather is easy to grip, and after getting a firm hold on it, you grit your teeth and pull up with all of your might.

The sleigh turns up just in time, and you barely miss crashing into the ground. Laughing to yourself, you let out a relieved whoop of joy.

But then you see the top of one of the buildings fast approaching in front of you. Eyes widening, you tug the reins to the right, and the reindeer turn sharply so they just miss it. However, the sleigh bumps into it loudly. The force of the crash knocks you forward so your only contact with the sleigh is your midsection. You're dangling in the path of Donner and Blitzen's hooves. You scream loudly as you begin to tip further over the edge, letting go of the reins and scrabbling behind you for a grip on the slick wood.

A huge hand grabs the back of your coat just in time, and North heaves you back into the sleigh. You collapse on the wooden floor, panting and feeling your body to make sure you're still alive. Once you've calmed down, you look around at all three of the Guardians with a glare. "Okay . . . are you all awake now?" you yell sternly. They nod. "Good. Cause we have work to do."

North nods, and Tooth zips out of the sleigh to join the arial battle. You lean against the right-side railing, looking over the side for Jack. A hand taps your shoulder, and you look back over your shoulder to see North holding one of his huge swords out for you to take. "Here."

Eyes widening, you take the sword. It's nearly half your height, but surprisingly light and well balanced. "Thanks."

Readjusting the sword in your hands, you lean over the side of the sleigh and begin swinging at the nightmares that get too close. Jack is close by blasting nightmares apart with his staff, and Tooth suddenly zips by, rapidly slicing a swarm of nightmares apart with just her wings. They all explode into a cloud of black sand.

"(y/n), look out!" North yells from behind you.

You had been too busy watching the battle that you hadn't realized you were still a part of it. You spin around just in time to intercept another nightmare about to attack you. Its teeth snap viciously only a couple of inches from your face, but instead of screaming and ducking (as much as you want to), you instead grit your teeth and shove the sword right into the horse. The second it comes into contact, the nightmare bursts into a cloud of black sand.

Once the cloud dissolves from around you, you see Jack plummeting quickly in the distance. His staff spins wildly in the wind next to him, and you gasp and run to the opposite side of the sleigh, gripping the railing and leaning forward over the edge, as if you can reach him. He can't fly without his staff. "Jack!" you scream.

After what seems like hours to you, Jack finally manages to hook the end of his staff and control his descent. You breathe a sigh of relief as you watch him fly back up and into the battle. But that relief disappears when you look further up.

At least five hundred feet above you, a swarm of nightmares surround Sandy's cloud of golden sand. He wields two golden whips, doing his best to contain the cloud. Pitch rises up just above the swarm, and you could swear the Nightmare King is smiling down at you. Suddenly, your instincts scream at you to turn around, but before you can, something hits you hard in the back. You fly overboard, and just manage to twist around and grab the golden railing with one hand, your feet scrabbling for purchase on the sleigh's side. "North!" you yell.

"Hang on, (y/n)!"

He lets go of the reins with one hand and leans over to you, hand outstretched. Just before your hands meet, the nightmare that hit you before comes back to finish the job, hitting you hard in the side and effectively ripping your hand off of the railing. You scream as you tumble down and out of the sky, flailing your arms as you try to right yourself. The ground is only two hundred feet below you, and you close your eyes. You never thought you'd die this way.

You expect to hit the hard ground, but instead you collide with something soft. Steady, but soft enough that it can't be the buildings below. You open your eyes to see Jack grinning down at you. "You know you can't fly, right (y/n)?"

Gasping for air, you wrap your arms around his neck for support—both physically and emotionally. "Thank you."

He smiles. "Anytime." Jack notices with a frown that you're still shaking, and he tightens his arms around you as he flies back towards the sleigh. "I'll always be there to catch you."

The both of you land back in the sleigh, and North nods at you from his position at the reins. Jack's hand is still on your waist, steadying your shaking, and you take hold of the side of his sweatshirt. At this point, it's a habit. Suddenly, you hear him gasp, and you look up at him and follow his gaze up into the sky to see the two swirling masses of gold and black sand. Sandy's control seems to be getting smaller and smaller, overwhelmed by the onslaught of nightmares.

"We gotta help Sandy!" Jack yells, voicing your own thoughts.

North cracks the reigns and turns the sleigh around in a hard right, heading straight towards the swirling cloud. Bunny comes to stand next to you at the railing, one hand clutching the sleigh and the other wrapped tightly around a boomerang.

You look away from him and back up at the cloud, and something different catches your eye just above where Sandy is. You inhale sharply and take hold of Jack's arm. "Oh my god."

Jack looks at you and you point up at where Pitch is standing above the swirling mass. He tilts his head and smiles down at Sandy, and you gasp as he forms a weapon in his hands. His smirk grows wider as he draws back a huge, black arrow. An arrow aimed right at Sandy. The only thing you can do is watch helplessly as he releases the arrow.

It feels like time stands still. You watch in shock as the arrow flies, its huge head ripping through the air faster than possible. Instead of dissolving in contact with Sandy's sand like the nightmares do, the arrow imbeds himself into him. A black spot appears on Sandy's back, and tears well up in your eyes.

"No!" you scream, leaning forward in the sleigh.

Sandy's eyes look confused for a moment at the sensation of pain. But it quickly disappears as he closes his eyes. You see Jack narrow his eyes dangerously next to you. He grips your hand almost painfully tight, and you see his knuckles are white with lack of blood on the railing. He turns his head to face you, and you do the same.

"I'm sorry," he mumbles.

You frown, and sniffle. "What do you-"

That's all you get out before Jack leaps out of the sleigh and flies up after Sandy. North yells after him, but all you can do is stand in shock. The patch of blackness is spreading over Sandy's shoulders now, and North cracks the reins again, in hopes of intercepting his friend. A group of nightmares collide with the sleigh, and you duck down to avoid the attack. Once they're gone, you stand back up to see Sandy's now on his knees, and Jack is closer. None of you can speak over your shock and grief.

And then, there's no more gold left—just a whirling mass of onyx nightmare sand. "Sandy . . ." North whispers dejectedly, and you look at him to see him staring up at the mass in shock.

You, Bunny, and North hear Jack's scream even from the sleigh. A glowing blue energy emits from your best friend's staff, and you watch in horror as Pitch raises his arms above his head before sending them crashing down. The tidal wave of nightmare sound crashes down with his movements and surges towards Jack. "No!" you scream out in horror, scrabbling at the edge of the sleigh. Bunny wraps one arm around you, effectively keeping you in the sleigh. "No, Jack! Jack!"

Not Jack too.

And then your best friend is gone from your view, taken over by the swirling mass of nightmares. You fall to your knees sobbing, still clutching onto the rail as you look up at the sky. Looking for any sign. Anything. Bunny's hand falls to your shoulder, but you can't bring yourself to look up at him. You already know what he looks like. You don't want to see the pity and grief. You've had enough of those expressions to last a lifetime.

A bolt of icy-blue lightning extends outwards from within the cloud, and you hiccup. A gust of wind blows past the sleigh, blowing your hair back and out of your face. You can see that Pitch felt it too. Then a blast of ice and frost rockets back up the stream of Nightmare sand and towards him, culminating into an explosion of ice and snow. Just like that, every single nightmare is gone. You look up at Bunny and he does the same, who is just as shocked as you are.

You scramble to your feet and look up, hoping for a sign. That had to be Jack. "What happened?" you ask. "Was that Jack?"

Tooth shakes her head, tears still streaming down her face. "(y/n), I don't—"

"There!" Bunny yells from the other side of the sleigh. Tooth and you scramble over to stand next to him. He points to something about three hundred feet above you, and you gasp. It's Jack, free-falling towards the Earth.

"North!" you yell. "Get under him, quick!"

North pulls up on the reins, turning the sleigh towards Jack. Tooth zips up from the sleigh and catches him quickly, but the weight is too much for her tiny features and lack of power. She flutters for a bit dropping down to the sleigh. Bunny rushes to help her, and the two of them lay him down on the seat.

You push yourself off of the railing and stumble over to Jack. Silent tears roll down your face and you kneel next to him, taking in his appearance. His eyes are closed and his mouth is slightly open, and he looks even paler than usual. Sickly pale. When you take his face in your hands, he doesn't even move. The only sign that he might be alive is the fact that his hand is still clutching his staff tightly. "Jack!" you yell. He doesn't answer, and you let out another sob. "Jack, please."

He still doesn't move, and you lay your head down on his stomach, sobbing. You can't believe it. After everything, you can't lose Jack. You've already lost everyone else, he's all you have.

Then his chest heaves with a cough, and you shoot up with a gasp. He opens his eyes tiredly and grins down at you. "Hey, (y/n). Miss me?"

You take his face in your hands and laugh in relief, tears still streaming down your face. "Oh my god, Jack. I hate you so much."

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Don't ever do that again." You lean forward and kiss his cheek, then his forehead. You're so relieved you can't even think about how he'd react to that. When you pull away, you meet Jack's wide eyes and see his obvious blush. You blush in return and swallow nervously.

"Jack." You look up at Bunny, glad to escape the embarrassment of what you just did. He's looking down at Jack in shock and awe. "How did you do that?"

Jack looks away from you and up towards the sky, where the ice and snow is still disappearing. "I . . . I didn't know I could."

* * *

 _ **Review, please!**_


	9. Going Home

"Hey."

You look away from the window and see Jack standing a few feet away. His hood is on again, and your heart sinks at the sight. This is how you started this journey—with Jack sad. His staff is clasped in his hand limply, the crook of it dipping down to the floor like he doesn't have the strength to hold it up. "Hey," you whisper back.

He gestures to the window seat you're currently curled up on. "Can I join you?" You nod your head yes. Instead of sitting across from you like you thought he would, Jack props his staff against the wall and slides onto the thin window seat next to you. You press your right shoulder against the cool glass to give him more room, and once he's settled, you lay your head on his shoulder. He drapes his right arm over your lap, and you're grateful for the comforting weight. You lace your fingers through his.

"Are you okay?" he whispers.

You shake your head, fresh tears welling up in your eyes. The ceremony for Sandy was beautiful. All movement in the workshop stopped briefly to honor Sandy, and everything was lit with the golden light of the thousands of candles flickering throughout the building. The elves' bells sounded dark and mournful instead of cheerful like when you first met them. You like to think that Sandy would have liked it, and even though you didn't know him long, you think he would. The other Guardians are taking the loss hard. North was strong during the ceremony, trying not to break in front of Bunny and Tooth, but Tooth was a mess.

"Me either," Jack replies, laying his head on top of yours. His left hand reaches across you, tapping the window softly so a frosty image of Sandy crackles across the glass. "I just . . . I wish I could have done something."

You squeeze his hand and turn your head so you're facing him. "Jack, you did do something. You saved all of us and defeated all of those nightmares." His sad blue eyes lock with yours. "Sandy would have been proud of what you did."

Jack stands up off of the seat, and you immediately miss his comforting presence next to you. But you can't linger on that thought now. Jack takes a couple of steps away from you, running his hands through his snowy hair and effectively knocking his hood off. Then he walks back to you just as quickly as he left, kneeling in front of where you sit. "What do I do, (y/n)?"

You're unsurprised by the question. You swing your feet around and stand up off of the window seat, holding your hands out for Jack to take. He does, and you pull him out of his crouch and to his feet, but keep your firm hold on his hands. "Jack, I don't know who you were in your past life, but in this life I have seen you do a lot of good. You saved me from myself after my brother . . . and my parents . . . you know. And you bring me and so many others so much joy. They may not believe in _you_ , but I can promise you that they believe in what you do." You move your right hand up to cup his cheek. "Jack, I believe that, in this life, you are a Guardian."

He stays still, unspeaking as his blue eyes search yours for something. You're not sure what, but you know that, whatever it is, he needs it right now. Answers, maybe. But then he starts to lean closer to you, and your eyes widen.

He's less than an inch away when a voice clears its throat. Jack and you spring apart, cheeks flaming, and you both look over to see Tooth standing in the doorway. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but (y/n), it's time to go."

Jack's head whips back towards you. "You're leaving?"

You nod. "We decided that right now I'd be more help back with the kids. Help them keep believing." You laugh exhaustedly. "I mean, what can a mortal do against someone like Pitch?"

Jack steps close to you again, lowering his voice as he says, "Yeah, but I'd rather have you here, with me. So I can keep you safe."

Your heart swells at his words, but reality crushes it just as quick as it comes. As much as you want to stay with him and the Guardians, inside you know you're just dead weight. You're better off doing something that might actually help. "Jack, I'll be fine," you reassure him. "Trust me."

His eyes search yours for a few seconds before he steps back and nods. "Okay."

By now, your heart is practically sinking. Stepping forward, you wrap your arms around his waist and pull him into a tight hug. It doesn't take him long to hug you back, chin resting on your shoulder. "Be careful, okay?" you whisper.

"I will."

You pull away slightly so you can look him in the eye. "Promise?"

He smiles. "Promise."

Smiling once more, you pull him into one more tight hug before letting go of him completely. Then you give a half-hearted wave and follow Tooth out of the room.

* * *

You glance away from your house and back at Tooth, smiling at her. "Thanks, Tooth."

She smiles softly and pulls you into a warm hug. "Of course. Stay safe, okay?"

Laughing, you wrap your arms around her in return, just below her wings. "Shouldn't I be saying that to you?"

She pulls away and regards you seriously. "Pitch is unpredictable, (y/n). Remember that. It's unlikely, but now that he's seen you . . . you never know what he'll do."

You nod, gulping quietly. "Alright. I'll keep a look out." You squeeze her hands gently before letting go and taking a step back. "Good luck. And don't forget Sophie!" She nods at you and smiles once more before zipping away and back to the North Pole.

Sighing, you turn and walk up your partially iced-over driveway to your house. Luckily, your key is still in your coat pocket from two nights ago. It's barely been two days, but after what's happened, it feels like weeks. You frown as you feel something else in your pocket other than your keys. After a couple of seconds of fumbling, you pull the object and your key out together.

Inside your hand rests what looks to be the innermost doll of a matryoshka set. Its shape and intricate painting gives it away. The wooden baby looks up at you with wide blue eyes and a small smile on its face. It's swaddled in red garments, and you smile at the little frosty snowflake that Jack must've left on it.

For some reason, he decided to give this to you. Maybe to remind you of what the Guardians need you to do, maybe to remind you of him . . . Smiling to yourself, you put the doll back in your pocket and shove your key in the lock. You push the door open slowly, grateful that it didn't creak. After you shed your winter gear, you make your way to the kitchen to grab a snack.

The TV blares what sounds like the news from the living room to your left, and when you look over you see the top of your father's sleeping head poking up over the top of the couch. It's three a.m. Rolling your eyes, you grab a snack from the cupboard and make your way upstairs to your room to take a shower and get some much needed rest. On your way to your room, you peek in your parents' room to see your mom sleeping soundly in bed, your dog (d/n) sleeping next to her.

You're slightly surprised they haven't left again for another trip. It has been three days. But you push the twinge of happiness away just as quickly as it has come. They may have stayed longer this time, but they're just going to leave again. That's just how it works.

(D/n) lifts her head, from where she's sleeping on the bed, her ears perking up in curiosity. You smile at her adorableness and put a finger to your lips before walking down the hallway and to your room. The telltale soft padding of your furry friend behind you makes you smile wider, and you let her into your room before closing the door quietly behind you.

You sit down on your bed with a groan. You hadn't realized just how tense and sore you were until you sat down. Really sat down. The past couple of days have been the most stressful of your life, and your body knows it. Sighing to yourself, you lay back and onto the bed. (D/n) hops up next to your head, and you smile at her and scratch her ears. She blinks at you with sleepy eyes, and you think you must look the same.

After dragging yourself out of bed, it takes you about twenty minutes to shower. Standing under the hot water felt blissful after being in the cold for so long. When you're finally done in the bathroom, you climb into bed and stroke (d/n)'s back before rolling over.

Your eyes widen in shock.

The alarm clock on your bedside table has always been a constant in your life, and now its harsh blue light displays that it's Sunday. Easter Sunday. After looking at the date for a couple of seconds, you realize that you're smiling. You laugh to yourself and lay down to sleep, feeling (d/n) snuggle up against your back.

There must be some hope after all.

* * *

 _ **Hey, all!** **Sorry** **, it took so long to update, I've had a crazy few weeks. I'd say the next chapter will be up next weekend ish! PLEASE REVIEW!**_


	10. Easter

You bound down the stairs at eight o'clock the next morning with a surprising amount of energy for someone who only got five hours of sleep.

Five hours of sleep after being awake for nearly two days. It must be the adrenaline.

But it also was an amazing two days. You smile to yourself at the memories and the fact that it's Easter. The Guardians must have so many lights on their globes by now. You round the corner of the stairs with (d/n) on your heels, both of you heading to the kitchen for breakfast. But when you enter the room, you freeze on the spot so fast that if you were wearing sneakers, you would have skidded. Your parents are sitting together at the kitchen table, looking like they've been waiting for you to come down.

Clearing your throat awkwardly, you walk over to the cupboard to get your favorite cereal. "Good morning."

"(y/n)," your mother's soft voice says. It sounds slightly foreign to your ears. Unfamiliar. "Can you sit down so we can talk?"

You still don't look over at them and walk over to the fridge for milk. "What about?"

She sighs. "Please, (y/n). Let us talk to you."

Closing your eyes, you silently pray for strength. This isn't gonna be good, and you know it when you shut the fridge door a little louder than you should have. You set the milk on the counter next to your cereal box and pad over to the kitchen table, plopping down in the furthest seat from both of your parents. A brief moment of hurt flickers across both of their faces, but you don't notice. Nor do you care.

(D/n) walks up to you and drops her head in your lap, her tail wagging slowly. You place a hand on her head and stroke her soft fur once before looking up at your parents. "So? Get on with it, I have to be at the Bennet's in a half an hour."

Your mother turns slightly in her seat so she's facing you. "(y/n) . . . I know that ever since (b/n) died, we haven't exactly been there for you." You snort. "Haven't exactly been there for you" is the biggest understatement you've ever heard. Your mother ignores you and continues: "Your father and I," she reaches across the table and takes his hand, "We want to change that."

That gets your attention.

"What do you mean?" you ask, leaning back in your chair and trying not to look interested.

"We're going to start working from home, so we can be with you more. Be . . . parents."

"And when we do leave, we want you to come with us, (y/n)," your father adds.

Despite the beautiful gesture they are trying to make, you scoff. "Why would I want to come with you? You practically left me to raise myself! You may have paid for everything: The house, the food, but I've been practically living on my own for five years, nearly six!" Your parents shrink under your piercing gaze and rant, but you don't back down.

"I was practically a child! You sent postcards for the first year, and then that was it." A bitter laugh escapes you. "Hell, I had to figure out puberty all by myself!" Stopping, your gaze hardens as you glare at the two of them. "I've known the Bennet's for six months, and they've been more like parents to me than you two ever have!"

"That's exactly what we're saying, (y/n)," your father whispers. "We want that to be different."

"Yeah? Well, it's too late." Silent tension rings in the air when you stop talking. "You stopped being my parents when (b/n) died."

You push yourself up abruptly, accidentally knocking your chair backward. (D/n) scrambles out of your way as you storm to the front door, fuming. You pull on your boots and grab your still slightly-wet winter gear out of the closet, ignoring your parents calls for you to wait. You leave without even putting your coat on, and slam the door behind you and (d/n) so hard it rattles the door frame.

The cold air is perfectly and suffocatingly silent. You stand on the porch breathing heavily, letting your hot-from-anger body be cooled. Sensing your distress, your golden retriever tilts her head up and licks your hand. With that small gesture, the rippling anger and tension in your shoulders start to subside slightly. You smile thinly and pat her head before starting off down your driveway. You pull on your coat, hat, and gloves as you walk, welcoming the warmth it brings from this freezing day.

Once you're warmer, the guilt starts to set in. Your parents may be jerks, but at least they're trying. Pulling out your phone, you send them both a message:

 _I'll think about it. Happy Easter._

* * *

The Bennet's house is quiet, save for Abby and (d/n) playing tug-of-war in the living room to your right. Your eyes are fixed on the ticking clock above the kitchen sink reading 4:00 in the afternoon. The kids are all still outside looking for Easter Eggs, but the hunt should have been over hours ago.

You knew something was wrong when they couldn't find any eggs in the yard this morning, and your fears only grew when you went to the park, and then to the other kids' houses only to find nothing. Something went deathly wrong with the Guardians last night, and you don't know what. God, you wish you wouldn't have left. You hate being in the dark about things, especially on a situation so obviously dire.

A cup of hot cocoa sits between your hands as you look out the kitchen window, watching Jamie climb up the ladder. Is he checking the gutter _again_? You smile softly to yourself at his determination. Thank God that boy never gives up.

You gasp and jump up when the ladder teeters over with a loud crash and you see Jamie hanging from the gutter by one hand. You reach the door just in time to hear the gutter break loose from the house. Jamie goes flying and lands with a soft crunching sound in a mound of snow. You wince and throw open the door, about to run out when you see the pink and purple tennis ball bounce innocently across the lawn. Your heart clenches as the kids' shoulders droop and you practically see the hope drain out of them. Looking around the group, you see that not one of them has even a single egg in their baskets.

But Jamie gets up, dusting himself off with a frustrated frown. "Let's go check the park again."

Caleb scoffs. "Really?"

"For what, the Easter Bunny?" Claude adds. He crosses his arms and fixes Jamie with an annoyed stare.

"Guys, I told you—I saw him!" Jamie yells. "He's way bigger than I thought, and he's got these cool boomerang things—"

The other kids chorus their disbelief, and your heart sinks. Caleb's voice carries the furthest, saying: "Grow up, Jamie. It was a dream. You should be happy you still get dreams like that, and not . . ."

Cupcake puts her head down, brown eyes clouded over and haunted by things you can only imagine. "Nightmares."

Oh no. _What happened, Jack?_

You watch helplessly as the kids turn away and filter slowly out of the yard. Pippa's the lone straggler, and you watch as she walks over to Jamie. Her under-eyes are dark with exhaustion, and she just looks so sad: Nothing like she usually looks, or any child should look. She hands him his fallen basket, smiling softly at him, but it quickly fades back into a frown. "Forget it, Jamie. There's just no Easter this year."

Then she walks away, trailing after the others and starting her own way back home. Jamie hangs his head and looks into the empty basket dejectedly. That's the last straw for you.

Grabbing your coat off of the hook by the door, you pull it on and step outside, closing the door behind you with a slam that gets Jamie's attention. "Hey, bud," you say gently as you approach the younger boy.

"He really is real," he whispers. "I know he is." He looks up at you with wide eyes. "You saw them that night in my room! They're all real."

You purse your lips sadly. "I know."

Tears well up in his eyes. "Then why aren't they here?"

You swallow the lump in your throat and plaster a smile on your face instead of answering his question. As much as you want to tell him what's really going on, to share your fears, you can't. He doesn't need the truth right now, he needs inspiration. "Why don't we go check the park again, like you said?" you ask him. "I'm sure there have to be some hidden in all this snow."

A flicker of hope flares up in his brown eyes, but it disappears just as quickly as it came. "Okay," he mumbles.

You smile. "Jack Frost just had to give us all this snow Easter week, didn't he?"

Jamie wipes his nose and starts walking next to you. "You never told me who he is."

You step through the loose fence post and hold it open for Jamie. How do you describe Jack? The two of you start walking, and you look down at Jamie, who is still frowning at his shoes. You look up at the sky with a smile. "Well, you need to be excited if you want to hear the story."

"I'm excited!"

You look back at Jamie with a smirk. "Then smile." He smiles, but it's half-hearted. "That's not a smile."

The smile disappears, and he glares up at you. "Yes, it is!"

"No." You hum and stroke your imaginary beard, pretending to think. Then you grin and reach over, tickling Jamie's sides for a few seconds. A beautifully natural giggle bubbles out of him, and you smile at the sound. "That's a smile."

Jamie rolls his eyes. "So . . . Jack Frost?"

The both of you turn a corner. You're almost there. Everything in Burgess is closeby. "Where should I start, kiddo?"

The brunette's eyes widen as he thinks. "What does he look like?"

"Oh." You hadn't been expecting that. Usually the kids just like hearing their story, but Jamie's different. He likes details. And, you guess that because he's never even heard of Jack since you told him, he would want to know what he looks like. "Well, he's about my age. Physically, I mean. He's actually been alive for about three hundred years."

"Wow."

"Yeah, I know. He's oooold." Jamie laughs, and you smirk as you think about what Jack would say if you said that in front of him. "Anyway, he has hair that's as white as the snow, and he wears a blue sweatshirt that has the prettiest frost designs across the top. His pants are brown and wrapped at the bottom, and he doesn't wear any shoes."

Jamie frowns as the two of you enter the woods. "Wouldn't he get cold?"

"Would a Spirit of Winter get cold?"

He grins. "I guess not."

"Exactly."

"What else does he look like?"

You laugh at his newfound enthusiasm, helping him over a rock blocking the path. "He always carries around this wooden staff with a hook on the end, like a shepherd. That's his source of power, which means he can't fly or create snow and storms without it. You grin to yourself as you continue to talk about Jack. "And the Tooth Fairy always says that his teeth 'sparkle like freshly fallen snow.'"

Jamie laughs again and then frowns. "What color are his eyes?"

"Oh." You can't believe you forgot that. "He has the most beautiful, bright blue eyes. They never stop sparkling, and when you look into them . . . it's like you never want to look away."

Jamie looks up at you, but your eyes are fixed onto the path ahead dreamily. "Do you know him?"

That snaps you out of your trance, and you blush at being caught in the act. "Yeah, actually. I do. He's my best friend."

"Oh," you look down at him and see his head is tilted down at the sidewalk. He obviously doesn't believe you. "Cool." He frowns. "So, how did he get his powers?"

You smile and look up, noticing that you're approaching your favorite spot in the park: Jack's lake. "He actually got them right here."

"Really?" Jamie asks. "How? It's just a lake."

"All he can remember is he came up and out of the water right in the middle. The ice broke just enough for him to come out, and he floated up into the sky. Then he was set back down on the ice, and the moon told him his name was Jack Frost."

"The moon?"

You hum in confirmation. "He found his staff on the ice, and he's been Jack Frost ever since."

Out of nowhere, your heart seizes up with fear, and you take Jamie's arm. You start to question what made you so afraid all of a sudden, but the realization hits you like a truck. Whirling around, you scan the trees for the now unfortunately-familiar black figure. "What's wrong?" Jamie asks. You don't respond, still scanning the trees as you push him behind you. "(y/n), what is it?"

You ignore him for a second time. "I know you're there, Pitch!" you yell defiantly.

The shadows that lurk under the trees in front of you melt together on cue, and you glare at the figure they produce. Pitch's golden eyes are smirking at you before the rest of his body forms, and you narrow yours in return. "Very good, (y/n)," he praises, voice silky smooth yet sinister at the same time.

"I can sense assholes from a mile away," you respond. "What do you want?"

He's smiling at you evilly, and you gulp. Two nightmares appear out of thin air to flank him, and you squeeze Jamie's shoulder tighter. "Jamie, run."

The boy's eyes are wide with fear. "Who is that?"

You don't respond, just push his shoulder in the direction of another path through the woods—the one Pitch isn't blocking. "Run!" you yell. The nightmares take off towards you just as Jamie starts to flee, and you have no choice but to scramble back and out onto the ice to avoid their snapping teeth.

After years of being Jack's best friend, you've mastered the ability to run on ice without slipping. But you forget that these horses are not living things, and they catch up to you easily because their hooves don't slip on the slick surface. One of their huge heads hits you in the back and you're thrown to the ground, sliding a few feet across the ice. You wince, rolling onto your back and clutching your right shoulder, which took the brunt of the fall.

Your vision is blurring from a hit to the head you didn't know you took, and when your eyes finally refocus it's too see Pitch standing over you. He's smiling down at you, twirling a stream of black sand between his fingers gray fingers. "Sweet dreams, (y/n). Or should I say . . . nightmares."

He laughs, and then everything fades to black.

* * *

 _ **Mua-ha-ha cliffhanger! What will happen next? Please Review!**_

 _ **Btw, all of you guys are the absolute best. I love reading your reviews and seeing your thoughts on the story. I worked really hard on this, and I'm so glad you're enjoying it so far. Thank you so much!**_


	11. The South Pole

_**Hello, all! Sorry it took me this long to update, I've wanted to so bad but I've just been so busy! Thank you so much for your reviews!**_

 _ **I apologize for the short chapter, but it's the best I can do at the moment. I'm about halfway through writing the next chapter, and I'll get that up for you as soon as I can. I'm in theater, and my show opens this weekend and runs for two, so I say the next chapter will be up in about two weeks? Again, I'm sorry for the waiting, but life has to come before this. I'm sure you all understand. Thank you all so much for giving this story love! I hope you continue to enjoy it.**_

* * *

 _The freezing wind bites at the back of your neck, but you don't even flinch. Your legs have been numb with cold for a while and your jeans are completely soaked through with snow, but you don't bother to move. You've been here for hours, so why would you leave now?_

 _It's been two years, and you still feel broken._

 _(B/n) still hadn't come downstairs for breakfast at eleven o'clock, which was unusual for him. He may have been a teenager, but he usually got up early to spend time with you before going to work or to be with friends. He was a good brother that way. Your mother sent you upstairs to wake him up, and you had grinned._

 _You had grinned and bounded up the stairs, thinking all was right with the world. Throwing open his bedroom door, you raced up to his bed and jumped onto the plush sheets, clambering on top of your sleeping brother. "Wake up, (b/n)! You missed pancakes!"_

 _He didn't even budge, and you frowned. "(b/n)?"_

 _That's when you noticed that he was looking up at you, but his eyes were completely blank. Your eleven-year-old mind ignored that until you realized that he wasn't breathing. You couldn't feel him breathing._

 _And then the screaming began._

 _Now, two years later, you kneel at his headstone in the middle of a blizzard, clutching white roses in your hands, shaking with cold. You didn't bother to put on a hat and gloves when you left the house, only grabbed a coat and a pair of converse. No one was there to make sure that you did. Your parents had left two nights ago, running away from their problems, and you, just as quickly as they had come home. So you're left spending the anniversary of your brother's death alone once again._

 _"Hey, what are you doing out here?"_

 _You gasped and whirled around, albeit sluggishly, at the sound of a voice behind you. The boy who had spoken looked even more surprised than you were. He jumped back a couple of feet, blue eyes wide with shock as he panted. "Who are you?" you asked._

 _"Who are you?" he replied._

 _Closing yourself off from the world around you once again, you turn back to the gravestone. "None of your business. Leave me alone."_

 _And then, suddenly, the snow stopped. The biting wind was gone, and you looked up to see the blizzard was still going on, but a small bubble of peace surrounded you and the strange boy. "My name's Jack Frost," he said from behind you._

 _You didn't bother to turn around, you just looked on in wonder at the snow still swirling only ten feet from you. "How did you do that?" you whispered in awe._

 _He laughed. "If I answer that, you'll think I'm crazy." You frowned in confusion and turned back to face him. He came to kneel down next to you, and you frowned at the odd-looking stick that he laid in between you. Kind blue eyes looked back into yours, and his stark white hair is moved in the soft breeze surrounding the two of you. "Now, who are you?"_

 _For some reason, you didn't hesitate to tell him. "(y/n)."_

 _You allowed him to pull you up and to your feet, and that was when you realized how weak you were. You could barely stand from how exhausted and cold your body was. He took the flowers from your hands and gently laid them in front of the gravestone. Tears welled up in your eyes as you watched him do so. Then he took a hold of his staff once again and stood back up to face you. He smiled softly. "Let's get you home, (y/n)."_

* * *

You shoot awake with a start, a cold sweat culminating on your forehead. Everything around you is dark, but not the kind of dark that's normal. It's the _I can't see a goddamn thing_ kind of dark _._ You look around the best you can, and you gasp as you notice a dark figure standing behind an even darker black gate. You instinctively scrabble backward and away from it, and you gasp as your back hits a cold, stone wall. A bolt of pain shoots through your injured shoulder, and you bite your lip to keep from making a sound. You glance around and notice you're surrounded on all sides. You're in a cell.

"Where the hell am I?" you spit, glaring at the figure with all of the energy and emotion that you have left.

Pitch steps forward and out of the shadows of the corridor. He tilts his head thoughtfully. "That wasn't a nightmare," he observes. "The beginning was, but it . . . changed."

You continue to glare up at him. "Sorry to disappoint. Now, where am I?"

He smiles, and your lip curls in disgust at his pointed and chipped grayish-yellow teeth. "It doesn't matter. You won't be here much longer. However, why you're here . . . I'm sure you'd enjoy the answer to that question." The Nightmare King looks down at you expectantly. Not wanting to humor him, you don't ask. He tells you anyway: "You and Jack Frost are close, yes?"

You tilt your head in suspicion. "Why?"

"I'll take that as a yes." Pitch claps his hands together excitedly, then melts through the cell bars so he's standing directly in front of you. You press yourself further against the wall, trying to swallow your panic. There's nothing between you and him now. Not like there was before, but still. You swallow nervously and he continues: "Because, if not, this whole idea would be useless." He smirks down at you. "I'm going to use you as bait."

Your eyes widen and you scoff silently. "The hell you are."

Pitch leans forward, so his face is only inches from yours, and you do your best not to look afraid; to hold your glare. "Oh, yes. Jack Frost is going to join my side of this war, especially when he sees I have his pretty little girlfriend." He trails the back of his hand along your cheek, and you flinch away.

Then you think better of it and lean forward to bite his finger-Hard.

The Nightmare King screeches out in pain and anger, stumbling backward as he cradles his now-bleeding hand. Then his face morphs into something monstrous, and you barely have time to brace yourself before he slaps you across the face. He hits you so hard your torso falls to the floor, head colliding briefly with the hard cement and making you see stars.

"You want to hear something, (y/n)? _Jack_ is the one who ruined Easter. He wasn't with the Guardians, protecting the Holiday of Hope! No, no, he was with _me_ ," Pitch spits. His golden eyes bore into yours, and you wrinkle your nose at his sour breath. "He was getting his memories from me, and your precious holiday was ruined."

"No!" you yell. You slowly raise yourself up and off the floor. "You're lying! Jack wouldn't do that."

Pitch laughs and steps back and through the bars. "Oh, but he did. And you want to know something else?"

 _No_ , you want to say. But instead, you just watch helplessly as Pitch leans forward and practically spits: "I killed your brother."

Before you even have time to cry out, Pitch flicks his hand, sending a stream of Nightmare Sand towards you, and you fall unconscious once again.

" . . . don't have to be alone, Jack."

The voice echoes around you painfully, bouncing off of surfaces until you hear it at least three times. You clutch your head and groan at its incessant pounding. After opening your eyes, you see you're surrounded by darkness once again. The walls almost seem to be bubbling, and you can see them shifting like shadows. How long have you been out?

"I believe in you." Pitch's voice echoes once again around this new cavern you're trapped in. "And I know children will too."

There's a brief pause in which you can only hear this strange, unnatural room thrumming around you.

"In me?"

You gasp and shoot upwards at the familiar voice. _Jack._

Scrambling to your feet, you run around the shadowy cavern, looking for a way out. The walls shift with you like mist when you touch them, and you realize that you are legitimately trapped in the shadows. When you try to pound on the walls, you fall forward as the mist parts. "No, Jack! Don't listen to him!" you scream, standing up once again. There's no way he can hear you, but you have to try.

A familiar burst of color and light appears in front of you, and you gasp in relief at the familiar figure. "Baby Tooth," you breathe out, holding out your hands for her to land in. "What are you doing here?"

She shakes her head and chirps fearfully in response. You nod and place her on your shoulder. "Yeah, I'm scared too."

A light shines from behind you, and you whirl around nervously only to see the shadows coming together to form a picture. Jack stands alone in an icy landscape. A terrifying sculpture looms behind him, its thousands of black and blue ice spikes arching towards the sky. Baby Tooth squeaks and flutters into your coat pocket.

"Yes!" Pitch continues. "Look at what we can do! What goes together better than cold and dark? We can make them believe. We'll give them a world where everything, _everything_ is . . ."

Jack deadpans. "Pitch Black?"

You can't see Pitch. It appears as if you're looking through his eyes because the image shifts like Pitch is shifting his weight uncomfortably. You're not exactly happy about looking at things his way. After a brief hesitation, he says: "And Jack Frost, too. They'll believe in both of us."

"No, they'll fear both of us. And that's not what I want." You smile at Jack's strength, crossing your arms over your chest smugly. You feel like giving Pitch one of those stars that say "gold star, you tried." Based off of everything you know about Jack, you know how strong he is. He would never succumb to Pitch's ways. As if on cue, your friend turns away from Pitch, and for once you're glad to see Jack about to leave. "Now for the last time, leave me alone."

The cavern suddenly darkens even more, and you can practically feel Pitch's anger begin to unleash itself. "Very well. You want to be left alone? Done. But first . . ."

You gasp as a column of shadow shoots down from the ceiling and wraps around your body, suffocating you. The next thing you know, you're in the same icy landscape from the image you were shown in the cavern. It takes you a moment to regain your bearings, but when you do, you gasp. Pitch is holding you against him with a black arrow to your neck. Jack's fearful eyes lock with yours, and he surges forward. "(y/n)!"

Pitch presses the arrowhead to your neck, and you gasp when you feel the sting of the cut and the feeling of blood trickling down your throat. You go to raise your hands to push Pitch away, but you can't: They're bound behind your back. Tears well up in your eyes. If you weren't helpless before, you are now. You're completely useless to yourself, and to Jack.

Jack stops in his tracks when he sees the blood and raises his hands above his head. "Please. Please, don't hurt her."

The hand without the arrow lets go of you, but the arrow doesn't falter. You gulp nervously and lock eyes with Jack. "The staff, Jack!" Pitch yells, holding out his hand.

At the question, the wind around you settles and the snow subsides, just like the day the two of you first met. But this time, it's under completely different circumstances. You feel a tear slip down your face. "No Jack, don't," you plead. "I'll be fine."

Pitch shushes you as someone might shush a crying child and moves the arrow again. You gasp at the pinch of another cut. Jack takes another step forward, anger and fear clouding his blue eyes. Pitch smirks at him, knowing he holds all of the power in this situation. "Hand it over, and I'll let her go."

You struggle against your bonds, silent tears now flowing freely down your face. You shake your head at your best friend, silently pleading with him to stop, to leave you. _Please don't do this._

But instead of listening to you, Jack closes his eyes and steps forward. He doesn't look at you as he reluctantly hands Pitch his staff. All of the frost and magic disappears from it immediately, leaving just a dark brown piece of useless wood. Pitch twirls it in his hand with a smile.

Jack clenches his fists. "Alright," he growls. "Now let her go."

The Nightmare King pretends to consider his order before his face morphs into something disgusting. "No." You gasp and let out a sob. You're going to die, and there's nothing you or Jack or anyone else can do about it. "You said you wanted to be alone, so be alone!"

A flicker of green catches your eye, and you see that Baby Tooth has flown out of your pocket. Her face is full of rage as she flies up and pokes Pitch in the eye with her needle-sharp beak. He shrieks and swats at Baby Tooth once, before thinking better of it and sending a column of nightmare sand her way. When you feel his grip loosen on you, you take the opportunity and run away from him just in time to miss him swinging the arrowhead at you again. Jack gathers you in his arms and pushes you behind him. His back hand never leaves you, and you grip the back of his sweatshirt nervously.

Pitch is still standing in front of you, blinking his now bloodshot eye. Then you watch in horror as he grits his teeth and raises Jack's staff above his head before bringing it crashing down over his knee. You'll never forget the sound the wood made as it snapped. Light explodes from the breaking point, and Jack clutches his chest and gasps, obviously pained by the loss of his staff. You catch him as he stumbles backward, supporting his weight the best you can.

Before you can even comprehend what's happening, Pitch sends a blast of Nightmare sand at you and Jack, sending the both of you flying backward. You slam into the wall of an iceberg behind you, and you gasp in pain, eyes flying wide open. As if suddenly waking up, Jack barely has time to pull you to him before the two of you fall down and into the cavern below. He twists around so he's on the bottom, and you're about to cry out when you hit the bottom.

You black out once again on impact, but it doesn't last long this time. When you regain consciousness a few seconds later, you open your eyes and look up. Pitch stands at the top of the ice fissure, looking down at the both of you with a small smile. His cold laugh bounces off the walls of the hole you've fallen into, and you watch through lidded eyes as he throws the broken shards of Jack's staff down into the crevasse before he turns around and disappears.

You blink slowly and try to fight the sleep that's trying to overcome you. Jack lays below you, and you move a hand up to cup his cheek, shaking him gently as you try to wake him up. You barely have time to mutter his name before your head falls to his chest and the world fades away into nothingness.

* * *

 _ **Review please!**_


	12. Broken

_**Hello, my lovely readers! I am sooooooooo sorry for the long wait, I have been super busy! I'm a theater nerd, and I've been in a show since september, and it just closed this Sunday. And because I was the lead, I had almost no time to write. So, I'm so sorry this is late!**_

 _ **Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter! It's one of my favorites so far :)**_

* * *

It's like you can't remember the last time you were warm.

You wake up shivering violently, eyes closed tight as you try to calm your protesting muscles. A cold hand brushes through your hair softly, and you lean into the comfort that it brings. When you finally bring yourself to open your eyes, a familiar pair of bright blue ones gaze back down into yours.

Jack smiles softly down at you. "Hey there, snowflake."

You smile and are about to respond when a blur of color suddenly appears in front of your face—much too close for your liking at the moment. You squint and do your best to focus on the object in front of you, and you smile when you see Baby Tooth's worried eyes gazing down at you as she flits about. "Hey, Baby Tooth." Your voice comes out raspy, probably from the cold and however long you've been out. You sit up slowly and lift a nearly-blue hand into the air for her to land on. Jack settles across from you once he realizes you're somewhat okay, sitting Indian style.

Between the two of you lay two broken pieces of wood.

Tears well up in your eyes, and you pick the hooked end up. "Your staff," you choke out. Jack's face falls even further as he nods, looking down at his lap. His hands are wringing together, and your heart breaks when you realize they're shaking. Not from the cold, but from anxiety.

You hug the wood to your chest as another wave of freezing air hits you. You shudder at the blast of cold, and Baby Tooth flutters out of your hand and onto Jack's shoulder. She chirps at him worriedly and he looks up, eyes widening at the sight of you curled into yourself in front of him. He's always felt guilty for making you cold, but over the years you've gotten much more tolerant of it. It hurts to see you like this. "C'mere," he says, holding out his hand for you.

Taking it carefully, you let him pull you gently into his side, wrapping his arms around your shaking body. You sink into his comforting embrace and smile through your chattering teeth. "H-how are you so warm?"

His cold breath tickles the top of your head when he exhales. "I guess because my staff is broken . . . I'm not Jack Frost anymore."

The statement sounds slightly ridiculous to your ears, but the situation is so dark, you can't find it in yourself to comment on it. But then you realize you have to make light of it. "You always were dramatic," you choose to say."

Jack looks down at you with a frown. "What do you mean?"

You tilt your head up and rest your chin on his chest, smiling up at him. "You'll always be Jack Frost, no matter what." You cuddle closer to him, but gasp when his hood brushes against your neck. You pull away abruptly and touch your throat just below your chin, pulling away your fingers to see red blood.

Jack's expression hardens and he takes your hand, wiping off the blood with his sleeve. "When we get out of here, I'm going to kill him."

He pulls you back against him, and you watch sadly as Baby Tooth crawls into his tunic pocket for warmth. She fusses around for a second before you see the fabric still as she does. "How are we going to get out of here?" you whisper.

His silence tells you all you need to know.

At first, you thought the glowing was a hallucination. Or a trick of the light. The world around you has almost passed into night time, but by now you've gotten used to the cold. As used to it as you can be.

Opening your exhausted eyes, you gasp aloud when you see the light isn't a hallucination: It's radiating from Jack's pocket. "Jack!" you exclaim, shooting up and out of his comforting embrace.

He shoots awake, his hand nearly knocking you upside the head as he flails his arms. He yelps when he sees the golden glow radiating from his pocket, and jumps backward and into the ice wall again in an attempt to get away from it. He looks up at you, panting nervously, and you shake your head to tell him you have no idea what's going on either. He swallows nervously before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a beautiful golden cylinder. Its surface is embedded with jewels of purple, blue, and green hues. On both ends of the cylinder is a painting picture of a boy that closely resembles Jack, save for the boy's hair is brown instead of white.

Your heart sinks as you realize what the box is. All of the colors are the ones associated with Tooth and her fairies. "Pitch was telling the truth." Jack glances at you, a question in his eyes. You swallow sadly and look back down at the tooth box. "Those are your memories, aren't they?"

He shakes his head and scoots closer to you. "No, (y/n), that's not how it happened. Pitch tricked me. I would never-"

You cut him off by taking his hand in yours. Jack looks down at your entwined fingers, obviously confused about why you would do that if you're mad at him. "I believe you," you whisper. Jack visibly relaxes, and you glance down at Baby Tooth, who is kneeling next to the box on the icy ground. She looks up at you as if sensing the question you're about to ask. "What do we do?" you ask her.

She smiles kindly up at you and Jack and puts a tiny hand in the middle of the cylinder. Jack picks it up in one of his hands and then glances at you. "Should I?" he asks. You nod and smile.

Jack looks away from you and back to the box, eyes roaming over it hungrily, but still unsure. You can understand why he would be nervous. He's about to be shown his entire past life before he became who he is now. Finally, he takes a deep breath, and you watch in anticipation as he presses his finger on the middle diamond. You gasp when he seems to enter a trance, and you reach forward and take his shoulders into your cold hands. He's completely still.

"What's happening?" you ask, slightly panicked. "What's wrong with him?"

Baby Tooth flies in front of you, waving her hands and chirping frantically at you to calm down. You can tell by her expression that Jack's fine, and your heartbeat begins to slowly relax. The past day has you completely on edge, and a warning before your best friend entered another world would have been nice. You take a deep breath and readjust Jack so he's leaning with his back against the wall next to you, his head on your shoulder. His finger stays glued to the still-glowing box the whole time you do this, and he makes no noise except for his soft breathing.

After a couple of minutes, another violent shiver courses through your body. "Baby Tooth," you look down at the small fairy kneeling in front of you with her arms crossed, crumpled wings folded against her body as she watches Jack, "How long does this take?"

Just as you say that, Jack shoots up with a start. You scream in surprise at his sudden consciousness and instinctively jump away from him. It's like a dead man coming back to life. By the time your heart gets back to beating at a normal pace, Jack is kneeling in front of you, cradling the box in his hands. You can't see his face.

You shuffle forward hesitantl and lean to the side in an attempt to see his face. "Jack?"

He jumps at the sound of your voice and spins around to face you. His blue eyes are wide with joy and surprise. "Did you see that?" he practically yells. You shake your head no, and he jumps forward, putting his hands on your shoulders. "It-it was me! I had a family and a sister!" He laughs incredulously, sliding his hands down from your shoulders to your hands and pulling you to your feet. "I saved her!"

You have about a thousand questions running through your brain, but you have no chance to get them out when Jack suddenly tilts his head up to face the sky. You follow his gaze to see the full moon shining serenely down on the both of you. "That's why you chose me," he mumbles, dropping his hands from your shoulders. "I'm a Guardian."

You could swear the moon seems to shine a little brighter at his statement.

"Is that all you saw?" you ask, smiling. "Your sister?"

A blush takes over Jack's cheeks, and you frown. "Yeah, just her."

It's obvious to you that he's lying, but you leave it for another time. He leans down to pick up Baby Tooth, and you ask: "What did you save her from?"

He looks up at you with a smirk, bright, mischievous eyes partially blocked by his white hair. "From falling through thin ice on my pond."

Your mouth drops open. "No way."

Jack nods in confirmation. "And then when I was in the pond, my hair turned white and my eyes turned blue, and . . . and the moon chose me." He looks down at Baby Tooth, who is smiling proudly up at him. "And . . . now I'm a Guardian."

You smile. "Of course you are. I've been telling you for days, but you just _had_ to be stubborn and wait for a box of memories to tell you." Jack grins at you sideways and you smile softly back.

Another violent shiver rips through your body, and you nearly pass out from the intensity of it. Your body can't take much more of this arctic weather. All you have on is your winter coat and one glove, both of which are meant for much warmer cold weather.

Jack catches you from nearly collapsing and pulls you against his chest. "We have to get out of here." You nod in agreement, but no words come out. Your teeth are chattering violently as he lays you down gently against the icy wall and puts Baby Tooth on safely on his shoulder.

You watch curiously as he begins to search the cavern floor until he finds the two broken pieces of his staff. You stand up shakily, still leaning against the wall for support, and move along it so you're standing in front of him. "What are you doing?" you ask.

It's as if he doesn't hear you, he's so focused on the task at hand. Whatever it is. He tries to fit the two pieces of wood back together, but nothing happens. He curses under his breath and looks at the sky, as if trying to gain strength. Then he looks back down at his hands and practically slams the two pieces of wood together, this time using every ounce of strength he has left. You watch as he closes his eyes in concentration and can't help but pray that whatever he's doing will work.

After an agonizing silence, a spark of blue light spirals out of the crack in the staff. You gasp. "Oh my god."

Jack opens his eyes at the sound of your voice and you watch as he continues to push, and the icy blue light continues to flow out of the staff and spread around the both of you, all while melding the staff back together. Your friend looks up at you and smiles, and you laugh joyfully. The light seems to make a newfound energy bubble up inside of you, and it takes you a minute to realize you're not cold anymore. The staff's magic must have fixed you just as it fixed itself.

Then the lights explode into a beautiful cacophony of color around you, and the ringing in your ears is gone. You look down at the newly-formed staff and step closer to Jack, placing your shaking hands on the wood. "Did it work?" you whisper.

Jack takes a deep, yet shaky breath. You watch as he raises his staff above his head and narrows his eyes briefly with a thought. A single, intricate snowflake appears on the crook of his staff, and you gasp. Jack's eyes widen also, and you laugh excitedly.

Suddenly, Jack pulls you close to him, his right arm wrapped around your waist and the left holding his newly-fixed staff. His face is so close you can feel his now-icy breath on your face. "You ready?" he breathes out.

You're hypnotized by his closeness, but somehow you find the ability to nod. He grins and shoots upward and out of the crevasse in the Arctic floor. You wrap your arms around his neck as he flies you, and Baby Tooth in his pocket, out of the South Pole.

* * *

Your feet echo around the cave as you run up the set of black stairs in Pitch's lair. Millions of Baby Teeth twitter in their birdcages hanging from the ceiling, but you continue to run. You thought you had seen a globe somewhere, and—there. You slow to a stop and catch your breath for a moment as you walk onto the small platform the globe sits on. The globe that spins slowly before you is different than the ones you've seen in the Guardians' hideouts. This one is hollow and completely black, and . . . there are no lights on it.

You gasp in surprise at the nearly blank globe. A globe that should have billions of lights of billions of believers flickering on it. "Jack…!" you yell panickedly. He lands next to you only seconds later, and you point dejectedly at the globe, which only has six golden lights left glowing on it. Then, right before your eyes, one of the lights flickers out. Your hands fly to your mouth in horror. "Oh no . . ." you mutter.

Another light flickers out, and you gasp. "Did you see that?" You see Jack nod out of the corner of your eye. Two more flicker out as the two of you watch helplessly, so only one light is left. The two of you hold your breath. Hoping. Praying.

The light doesn't go out. It stays glowing gold, flickering brightly in its spot on the globe.

You step closer to the globe, letting the golden light illuminate your face. You gasp in shock as you notice the light's location. "Is that . . . ?"

Jack jumps up onto the globe, smiling when he comes to the same conclusion as you. He looks over at you with a grin. "Jamie!"

In a flash, he jumps off the globe and gathers you in his arms, the two of you shooting off of the globe and back to your hometown.

* * *

 _ **Alright, I hope you liked it! I'll update the next one ASAP!**_

 _ **If you guys want, you can head over to my tumblr account ( fandom-what-ifs) and give me a follow! I post imagines for all fandoms INCLUDING ROTG, and right now I am accepting Christmas requests, so if you want your own personalized story, go ahead and leave one in my inbox.**_

 _ **Also, I realize I changed a little bit about Jack for this chapter. In the movie, he puts Baby Tooth in his hands, and he sneezes. He says that he can only keep her cold. That never made much sense to me because his staff broke, and he lost his powers. So why is he still cold all the time?**_  
 _ **That's why I changed it so he sort of just became a regular, warm-blooded human when his staff broke. I hope you guys aren't mad at me for changing that, but I also wanted to give him a reason to keep you warm down in that ice cavern :)**_

 _ **Please REVIEW and tell me what you think! Hugs and kisses from me 3**_


	13. The Last Light

_**I LOVE THIS CHAPTEEEEEERRR! I originally planned on writing this from Jack's point of view, but then changed my mind because this is YOUR story intertwined with his, and why change it for one of the most important chapters of the story? I hope you enjoy it!**_

* * *

Your feet touch down quietly on Jamie's windowsill as Jack lands, but he doesn't unwrap his arm from around you so you stay balanced on the thin surface. Jamie's window is slightly cracked open, which makes you smile and shake your head affectionately at the oldest Bennet's antics. He never closes his window, even when it's freezing cold outside. He says he likes the fresh air. You're pulled out of your thoughts at the sound of Jamie's voice floating out the window to you and Jack.

"Okay look," he starts, "you and I are obviously at what they call a crossroads, so here's what's going to happen: If it wasn't a dream, and if you are real, then you have to prove it." He pauses, and your heart practically breaks with affection for this boy. He's trying so hard to keep believing. "Like, right now."

Jamie waits, and so do you and Jack, all three of you holding your breaths in anticipation.

When nothing happens, Jamie looks around his room, waiting for something, anything to happen. Desperation creeps into the young boy's voice as he says, "I've believed in you a long time, okay? Like my whole life, in fact. So you kind of owe me now." He holds his favorite stuffed rabbit close to his face with a hopeful smile. "You don't have to do much, just a little sign so I know. Anything. Anything at all."

You wait. It's excruciating.

After about ten seconds, Jamie's face falls, and he lets the stuffed animal fall off the bed and to the floor. "I knew it." You can practically see the light slowly fade from his eyes, disbelief setting in. Eyes widening, you push the window open despite Jack's protests and step into Jamie's room. The boy looks up at you in surprise, which quickly changes to confusion. "(y/n)? What are you—"

"Jamie, they're real."

His face hardens. "No, they're not. It was just a dream, and I was stupid to ever believe it wasn't!" He sniffles, looking down at his lap as tears well up in his eyes. "I'm so _stupid_."

Your heart breaks at his words and you rush forward to sit on the bed next to him. You pull the small boy into your warm embrace, letting him cry softly into your chest. His tears are wetting your coat, but you could care less. Your job right now is getting the last light to keep believing.

He sniffles again and looks down at your hand: The one in his lap, not the one stroking his hair. "Where's your other glove?" he whispers.

You can't help but giggle. "Well—"

You cut yourself off when you hear the familiar crackling sound of frost forming fill the room. Jamie and you look over to the window to see beautiful patterns of ice creeping beautifully across the glass. Jack floats on the other side of the window, concentrating as he focuses on whatever he's doing. It only takes a couple of seconds for the panes to freeze over completely, and Jack looks up at you. You smile softly, encouraging whatever he's planning, and he looks back down at the window, using his finger to draw an Easter egg in the frost.

Jamie lets out a small gasp, and Jack looks up at the sound. He floats around the window and into the room, touching down softly on the carpet. He looks at you with a question in his eyes, asking if whatever he's doing is right. You smile encouragingly and nod at him to continue. He has Jamie's attention, and he has to keep it.

Jack looks at the stuffed rabbit on the floor, and then turns back to the window, frosting over one more of the glass panes. You glance down at Jamie briefly to see that his brown eyes are huge with wonder and his mouth is wide open. "He's real," he whispers reverently.

Your best friend gets visibly excited by Jamie's words and he turns back to the window, this time drawing a rabbit. He closes his eyes and extends his hands towards the window, concentrating for a moment. You watch in awe as his drawing suddenly comes to life, hopping into Jack's hands before beginning to hop around the room. Jamie laughs and stands up and out of your arms, watching the frosty rabbit bound around him. You stand up also, leaning against the wall as you watch snow fall in the rabbit's path.

After making a couple laps of the room, the rabbit bursts over Jamie's head like a snowball does when it hits someone. At the explosion, snowflakes begin to sprinkle down all over the room, covering Jamie's brown hair in a light dusting. Jack looks just as amazed as you are at the snow, as if he didn't know he could do that either. You turn back to Jamie and frown slightly when you see a look of confusion has replaced the previous amazement. He holds out his hands, catching the delicate white snowflakes and watching them melt slowly on his warm skin.

"Snow?" he asks.

You watch, holding your breath in anticipation and hope as a large snowflake, a glowing blue one that you recognize, lands on the tip of Jamie's nose. To your amazement, you watch as the light from before seems to return to Jamie's eyes. Something else is there to: Realization. "Jack Frost?" he whispers.

You freeze in shock, mouth dropping open. Over the years, you've barely heard anyone say those words except for yourself. You whip your head around to look at Jack. He's standing stock still and staring at Jamie with his mouth wide open. He gulps and looks over at you. "Did he just say—"

"Jack Frost," Jamie says again, as if he's getting used to the idea.

You laugh, tears welling up in your eyes as you watch the idea of your best friend begin to become more and more prominent in the young boy's mind. "He said it again!" Jack exclaims, jumping over to you and taking your shoulders in his hands as he laughs. He looks back over at Jamie, and walks to the foot of his bed. "You said—"

Jamie turns around slowly, tearing his eyes away from the snow still falling around his room to face where Jack is. From where you're standing, it almost looks like he's actually looking at Jack, and not past him. Only when his mouth drops open and he says Jack's name again do you realize he actually sees him.

Jack's bubbling over with joy at this point. "That's right! But-but that's me!" He gestures to himself, poking his chest. "Jack Frost! That's my name! You said my name!"

Something dawns over the winter spirit's face, and he takes a step backward. "Wait, can you hear me?" he asks. Jamie nods. "Can you . . . can you see me?" Jamie nods again, a smile slowly growing on his face. Jack laughs in relief and joy, looking back over at you. "He sees me. He sees me!" Jack backflips in joy, and the room suddenly explodes with snow as if reacting to the spirit's emotions. You laugh out loud, warm, happy tears now streaming down your face. You hadn't even realized you started crying.

"You just made it snow," Jamie says excitedly.

"I know." Jack grins.

"In my room!" Jamie adds.

"I know!" Jack repeats, this time way more excitedly.

Jamie bounces on the balls of his feet, and you can't even bring yourself to join the conversation at this point. "You're real?" he asks.

"Yeah! Who do you think brings you all the blizzards and snow days—and you remember when you went flying on that sled the other day?!"

Jamie's eyes seem to widen even more, if possible. "That was _you_?"

"That was me!"

Jamie jumps up and down on his bed, raising his hands over his head as he laughs. "Cool!" You chuckle at the two boys' excitement. "But what about the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy, and—"

"Real real real! Every one of us," Jack leans down and picks the stuffed bunny off of the ground, handing it to Jamie, "is real."

Jamie looks over at you with a question in his eyes, and you smile and nod at him, confirming the question. His eyes go even wider with happiness, and he looks back at Jack, exclaiming: "I knew it!"

"Jamie, who are you talking to?" Mrs. Bennet calls from down the hall. Your heart seizes up for a moment in panic, hoping she doesn't come down the hall to find you in her son's room, knowing full well you didn't come in through the front door.

"Um . . ." Jamie looks at Jack, who smirks and raises an eyebrow, nodding towards the door. "Jack Frost." The statement comes out more as a question than an answer.

But Mrs. Bennet just chuckles. "Okay." You hear her footsteps retreat back down the hallway, and you sigh in relief.

You hear a huge crash from outside, and you and Jack lock eyes. The both of you rush to the window and lean out together, looking for the source of the noise and hoping to any god up there that it's not Pitch. You sag in relief when you see North's sleigh barreling clumsily down the street, barely swerving around streetlamps. After one last crash into a curb, the sleigh skids to a rough stop right in front of Jamie's house.

Jack and you share a look, his eyes asking yours a question. You nod at him before turning to Jamie, who has worked his way in between you two to see what's going on. "Jamie, get your coat. You're coming with us."

He looks up at you in awe. "Really?"

You smile and nod, hoping you don't look grim. "Really." The little boy grins and nods, taking off out of his room and down the hall. Jack takes hold of your waist gently and heflies the both of you down into the front yard. The second your feet tough the ground you take off running towards the sleigh. You're almost there when the reindeers' harnesses detach from the sleigh with a clink, and you barely jump out of the way in time to miss being trampled. Jack just flew straight up in the air to miss the stampede, and he looks down at you in surprise before floating back down to the ground.

North's head pops up over the wreckage, and he looks hopelessly after the fleeing reindeer. "Ah, moi deti! Come back!" he yells. He steps out of the sleigh and stands up completely, and you watch in shock as his back seems to give out on him. You rush over and manage to catch him just before he hits the ground, straining under the tall man's weight. Jack takes the man's other side, and you look at him thankfully.

"North!" you gasp. "Are you okay?"

He looks down at you with tired eyes, and you notice sadly that there's hardly any of the magic that there used to be left in the beautiful blue. "(y/n), what are you—" Tooth's gasp of surprise takes his attention off of you.

"Jack!" she yells excitedly, fluttering out of the sleigh before suddenly falling to her knees. "And (y/n)!" After making sure North can stand on his own by leaning on one of his huge swords, you step forward and help Tooth to her feet. "What are you doing here?" she asks, grasping your arm and smiling up at you.

The two of you look over at Jack, and he grins. "Same as you." He looks off over his shoulder, and you see Jamie approaching through the frozen grass, eyes wide in wonder as he takes in the sight of the sleigh and all of his childhood heroes in one place.

North gasp sounds almost reverent. "The last light!" Jamie runs up to Jack, who puts a protective arm around the young boy's shoulders. North's eyes widen even more, and he looks up at Jack with a smile. "Jack, he _sees_ you."

You frown and look around, realizing one rather imposing figure of the group is missing. "Where's Bunny?"

North swallows nervously and lowers his head. "Losing Easter took its toll on all of us. Bunny most of all."

A small thump causes you to turn back towards the sleigh. A twitchy-nosed little Bunny sits on the railing of the sleigh, staring at you with familiar bright green eyes. Your heart sinks when you see the dark gray markings in his fur that Bunny has. "Oh my god, Bunny," you mutter as your brain puts two and two together.

Jamie chuckles and walks up to stand next to you. "That's the Easter Bunny?"

Bunny stands up and off of his front paws so he's only standing on two legs, gesturing at Jamie in frustration. " _Now_ somebody sees me! I mean, where were you about an hour ago, mate?"

"What happened to him?" Jamie asks, walking up to the sleigh. "He used to be huge and cool! And now he's . . . cute." The young boy tickles Bunny under his chin, who involuntarily thumps his paw at the sensation.

You press a hand to your mouth, trying to smother the giggle that bubbles out of you. The display in front of you is completely ridiculous, and knowing Bunny, he has to be pissed. Jack comes up next to you and he looks at Bunny with a shit-eating grin as he crosses his arms. You chuckle again as Bunny seems to come to his senses and bats away Jamie's hand.

He shifts his adorably-angry glare to Jack. "Did you tell him to say that?" He hops off of the sleigh and bounds quickly over to Jack, kicking him in the shin as hard as a little bunny can. "That's it! Let's go, me and you! Come on!"

"No!" Jamie interrupts, walking back over to Bunny and kneeling in front of him. "Actually, he was the one who told me you were real. Just when I started to think that maybe you weren't." Jamie looks down at his knees, and you smile fondly at him, squatting down and putting a hand on his shoulder.

Bunny stalls in his attack and his ear twitches towards Jamie as if he's asking himself if he heard right. He looks up at you first, and you nod with a smile before he looks at Jack. "He made you believe? In me?"

Jamie nods. "And so did (y/n)." You laugh at the way he adds you on as an unimportant afterthought. I mean, what can you expect? The kid's surrounded by four supernatural beings. You're not cool in a kid's eyes when you're around these guys.

A loud crack of thunder reverberates through the air, and fear seizes your chest at the sound. There's no thunder in winter, so it can only mean one thing. Looking up and into the sky, you see Pitch hovering above the forest. Bunny squeaks and hops up onto your arm, making you jump in surprise and move him so you're holding him in your hands.

Jack looks up at the darkness with an angry but determined look on his face. His white hair blows back and out of his face at the breeze and he readjusts his staff in his hands. "Get Jamie out of here," he orders.

North nods and yells, "Be careful, Jack!" before taking Jamie's shoulder in his huge hand and hobbling away quickly to find shelter. Tooth scurries after them on foot, ever the bird, and you pass Bunny into her hands as she rushes by you. Then you turn back to face Jack and you put a hand on his shoulder just in time to stop him from leaping off into the air. He looks at you questioningly, and you gulp in fear.

"What are you going to do against that?" you ask, looking up at Pitch, who smiles wickedly and twirls his fingers at you in greeting.

Jack looks up at him too. "I don't know." He pauses briefly, and your heart seizes up at the possibilities running through your brain. "But I have to do something. I can't let him win, not after what he did to you. To Sandy. To everyone."

Tears well up in your eyes and you step forward, hugging him to you tightly. Who knows what might happen to him. You know that Jack is powerful, but after looking at the armies that Pitch has rallied behind him, you can't help but be terrified for your friend. "Be careful, okay?" you whisper into his ear.

When you pull away, he nods at you with a smile, and you step away from him. You take a step back and away from him, wishing you could go with him. You wish you weren't so useless. Pushing that thought away, you give him one last smile, hoping it looks reassuring, before turning away to follow the Guardians. They seem to be running down the street to Downtown Burgess. Burgess.

"(y/n)."

You turn back to face Jack. He stands a couple of feet away, his eyes looking anywhere except for you. "Yes?" you whisper.

Your eyes widen as he looks back up at you with determination. You gasp as he surges forward and wraps an arm around your waist, crushing you against him. You don't have any time to comprehend what's happening until he presses his lips passionately against yours. His cool lips move against yours almost frantically, and despite the chill of the air, you feel as if you're entire body is on fire. But just as you close your eyes and begin to melt into the kiss, Jack pulls away, leaving you breathless and confused and full of a feeling for the winter spirit that you're only just now realizing is love.

Before you can even form coherent thoughts, he's gone, leaping into the air and twirling off into the sky. You watch as he flies directly towards Pitch and his swirling army of black sand. Lightning crackles menacingly in the cloud, and you swallow nervously. It takes everything in you to pull your eyes away from what is now a little blue dot in the distance. You spin around and take a deep breath, trying to shake the feeling that you're floating away. After regaining your bearings, you take off sprinting down the street and after the three Guardians and Jamie. The battle for the children of the world has begun.

* * *

 _ **The first kiss,** **muahahaha ha aa** **! I hope you enjoyed it! Anyway, please leave a review, they mean so much and help me so much when I'm writing the next chapters! Also, if you have any ideas for this** **story**_ _**or requests, let me know!**_

 _ **Lastly, I have a question for all of you lovely readers: Would you like a sequel for after this story? I'm thinking about writing a series of** **one-shots** **for your life with Jack and the Guardians after this story, let me know if you guys would enjoy that! Maybe I could put this chapter written from Jack's POV in there! Anyways, let me know! You guys mean so much to me!**_

 _ **Reviews** ** _,_ please!**_


	14. The Battle: Part 1

_**Sorry for the long wait, everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday season! Here is chapter 14, I hope you enjoy it! It's over 4000 words, so hopefully, it makes up for the time between updating!**_

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North's arm feels like it's getting thinner and thinner underneath his thick coat. He's aging, and quickly, and just the notion of that scares you. It's getting harder and harder to help him hobble down the street with every step you take. Jack better hurry up with whatever plan he's come up with. If he even has one.

Bunny leads you down another alley, but it's no use. "Dead end," he mutters. "Other way, other way!"

Tooth ushers North and you after Bunny, grasping Jamie by the shoulders as she does. The two are almost the same height, which in another situation would make you smile at how tiny the Tooth Fairy is. North groans and curses in Russian under his breath as you both turn and hurry back to the mouth of the alley. A loud bang sounds from behind you and you scream in fright. You whirl around towards the source of the noise, pointing North's heavy sword in front of you.

Jack lays on top of a dumpster, and you gasp as he suddenly falls to the ground with a thud, completely limp. You wince. "Jack!" you yell, rushing to his side. You kneel next to him and set the sword on the ground before taking ahold of Jack's shoulders and turning him over onto his back. He groans and you take his cold hand, pulling him to his feet.

North hobbles up on your other side and gives Jack a reassuring nod as he pats him on the shoulder. "That was good try, Jack. A for effort!"

"He's stronger," Jack mutters, successfully turning your attention back to him. He's still trying to catch his breath as he meets your eye, and you tighten your grip on his shoulders in case he collapses again. The frost pattern on his sweatshirt crunches under your fingers. "I can't beat him."

You see North and Tooth trade looks of concern as you let go of Jack slowly. Out of the corner of your eye, you see a shadow slinking across the ground out from under a trash can. You stumble backward and into Jack's cold chest, gasping. "Guys, look." You point at the shadow. They all follow your gaze and Jack straightens up at the sight. He moves so he's in front of all of you and aims his staff at the moving shadows. You pull Jamie into your side so he's in between you and the still slightly-shaking North.

Pitch's voice comes from the shadows all around you. "All this fuss over one little boy, and still he refuses to stop believing." A crack of thunder sounds and Jamie jumps under your arm. North puts his hand on his other shoulder as the sound of hooves clacking against the ground echo at the end of the alley.

Jack takes your free hand, and you glance over at him. He's changing which shadow he's pointing his staff at every couple of seconds. The enemy is all around you, and none of you know where he's going to emerge. All of your breathing echoes through the cold air in the silence. You turn back to observing your surroundings, tightening your grip on Jamie's shoulder.

"Very well," Pitch continues, still out of sight. "There are other ways to snuff out a light."

A bulb bursts behind you and you jump at the sudden darkness. You watch as the shadow of a clawed arm moves across the remaining lights in the alley, snuffing them out one by one. Terror flashes in Jamie's eyes, and you squeeze his shoulder once again, making him look up at you. You give him a reassuring smile, but he doesn't look convinced. If you're being honest, you're not that convinced either.

Bunny hops forward in front of your tiny group, ears twitching. "If you want him, you're gonna have to go through me!"

The shadow arm glides across the concrete floor and curls a finger around the back of Bunny. Pitch laughs genuinely. "Look how fluffy you are! Would you like a scratch behind the ears?" The finger tickles Bunny playfully and he bounds back and away from it. You jump in shock as Bunny jumps up to you, and you barely put your hands up in time to catch him. Jack pulls Jamie behind him the second he sees you're not holding his shoulder anymore.

Pitch finally comes into view at the end of the alleyway, riding atop a huge Nightmare steed. "I can't tell you how happy it makes me to see you all like this." Pitch grins gleefully, and you frown defiantly as his eyes pass over you. "You look _awful_."

North and Tooth slowly step in front of where you, Jamie, Bunny, and Jack stand. "Jack," Jamie looks up at your best friend, "I'm scared."

Jack's eyes widen briefly before he crouches down in front of Jamie. "I know, I know. But you're gonna be alright . . ." His eyes widen dramatically, and you tilt your head at him in confusion as you clutch Bunny closer to you. "We're gonna have a little fun instead," he finishes.

You raise your eyebrows. "What?"

"That's it." Jack laughs incredulously and stands up. You gasp as he grabs your shoulders and leans in close to your face. "That's my center!"

"Your _what_?" you squeak. "Jack, are you okay?"

Bunny bats Jack away from you with his little paws. "Nothing about this is fun! Do something!"

Pitch chuckles darkly. "And what do you suppose he does, rabbit?" All of you turn to face Pitch as he smiles sinisterly. "So what do you think, Jamie?" "Do you really believe in the Boogey—"

BOOF!

Your mouth drops open in shock, and you hear Jamie and North snicker secretively at the sight in front of you. Pitch has completely frozen on top of his stallion, white snow completely covering his face. You look over at Jack, who is tossing a bluish-white snowball up and down in his palm. He winks at you, and you barely find it in you to laugh through the shock. You turn back around to see Pitch wiping the snow off of his face, fuming. He turns back to Jamie and gives him his signature mischievous grin. "Now let's go get your friends."

A powerful gust of cold wind blows from behind you, and you suddenly find yourself sitting cross-legged on a trash can lid. You're sliding out of the alleyway and down the street on a sheet of ice. Bunny squeals in your lap and you gasp. You almost forgot he was there. He scrabbles at your legs desperately. "Wait wait wait wait wait!" he yells. His paws lose their grip on you, but you snatch him out of the air just in time to keep him from going flying.

"Sorry." You wince.

He's still breathing heavily in your hands. "Tiny Bunny. Strong wind." He looks up at the sky, seeming like he's sending a prayer to whoever he believes in. "This is humiliating."

You can't help but giggle a little bit as you zoom down the street on the blue ice, wind blowing your hair out behind you. It distinctly smells like snow, and you smile at the joy of this whole situation. You cannot believe Jack plans on fighting Pitch with snowballs. Actually, you can believe it. You look over to your friend to see him guiding Jamie carefully down the street on a crate in front of you. He looks back at you with a grin, and you smile fondly back.

North comes zooming past to you, laughing heartily. "This is amazing!" he booms. You look behind you to catch a glimpse of Tooth on her makeshift sled. Her violet eyes are the size of saucers and she clutches the edge of her trash can lid with a white-knuckled grip. For someone who's used to flying, she looks like she isn't a fan of not controlling her transportation. But despite her fearful body language, she is smiling widely as her feathers blow in the wind. Some of them decorate the ice behind you, but you choose to ignore them.

All of you are scared and thrilled, but man are you having fun.

You turn back around and observe your surroundings, trying to get your bearings. Once you realize where you are, your eyes widen. You lean forward and yell, "Jamie!" Both he and Jack twist around to face you. Pointing forward, you gesture frantically. "Cupcake's house is next block!"

He nods, and you hear him directing Jack on which building and window. Out of thin air, Jack forms a perfect snowball and blows icy blue across its surface. Then he turns over on his back, and you watch as he throws the snowball with perfect precision at Cupcake's window.

He turns back over and laughs, and you can't help but shake your head and join him. He takes Jamie by the collar and hoists him into the air before handing his sled to a still-laughing North. "Here!" he yells, "Be right back!"

He and Jamie fly away and down the street, effectively icing the rest of the road for those of you still on sleds. The wind is whistling around you, and soon you hear loud laughing behind you. Twisting around once again, you see a familiar face sliding across the ice behind you.

"Cupcake!" you yell, smiling at her. She giggles and waves excitedly back, her short hair flying behind her. Bunny hops up onto your shoulder to look at the girl behind you. Her pink night dress is billowing around her, and her boots are perched on the edge of her sled as she waves at him excitedly. He gives her a half-smile and waves slowly back.

A couple seconds later, Jack is back flying in front of you with Jamie. He takes the "sled" back from North and sets the boy safely back on before flying off down the road once again, covering the road with more ice. You watch as he throws two more snowballs at a window.

"(y/n)!" You turn your head around to face North, who is considering you curiously. His beard is split down the middle billowing on either side of him, which makes you crack a small smile. "What is he planning?"

You shake your head and giggle incredulously. "I have no idea."

He nods curtly. "Might as well join in, no?" He turns back forward and leans down, whispering into his hands before straightening back up. Your eyes widen when you see the two neatly-wrapped presents now in his hands.

You look down at Bunny with wide eyes. "Can he just do that?"

He smirks up at you. "Greatest Toymaker of all time."

Looking back at North, you watch in awe as he tosses the two presents up into the air. They disappear into thin air about three feet above them, a loud popping noise the only sign that they were ever there. North runs around slowly and winks at you. You tilt your head questioningly. He smirks and turns to face the corner window of the apartment building you're approaching on the left. A window is open on the fourth floor, with two faces looking out of it: Caleb and Claude. "Merry Christmas!" North bellows.

Bunny jumps in your lap, doing his best to get the attention of the two boys also. "Happy Easter!"

"Don't forget to floss!"

That's it. You burst out laughing at your new friends, unable to believe that you've only known them for three days. You continue to fly down the street, and you gasp as you approach your house. Someone is standing out front, and when you pass, time seems to stand still.

Your mom and you make eye contact as you fly by, both of you wearing mirror expressions of surprise. But before anything else can happen, you continue on down the road, leaving her watching after you. You hear her yell your name, but the rest of her words are drowned out in the wind.

"Who was that?" Bunny asks.

You don't even look down at him, still staring behind you even though you can't see your house anymore. "My mother."

Bunny frowns confusedly. "It's three in the morning."

Before you have a chance to respond, you feel a tap on your shoulder. Jack is flying next to you once again, grinning jovially. His white hair is plastered to his forehead and ears, as he's flying backward, and you can't help but give a half-smile at how ridiculous it looks. Normally his hair is sticking up at all angles; you couldn't even get it to stay down if you wetted it.

"What are you planning, Frosty?" narrowing your eyes at your friend suspiciously, yet playfully.

He shrugs. "I'm playing it by ear."

Your mouth drops open and he chuckles before falling back behind you to greet Pippa and Cupcake, the two children that have joined your ragtag group so far. They look up at him in awe as he talks to them, and you smile at Jack's obvious joy at having more kids to talk to. The rest of the kids save for Monty arrive on the ice within the next couple of minutes, and soon you're all gliding to a stop at the end of the icy road.

Once you come to a complete stop, the cold, still air around you feels warm from the lack of wind. Bunny hops out of your lap and promptly slips on the ice once his feet touch down. He slides a few feet on his fluffy belly before righting himself. You bite your lip in an attempt to hide your smile, pretending not to notice. Jack offers you a hand and helps you out of the trashcan lid and to your feet. You look around at everyone surrounding you and give Jack's hand a squeeze. All of the kids stand together in a group, talking excitedly into hands and pointing "discreetly" at the rest of you.

"Gotta hand it to you, Jack." You smile and tilt your head up to face him. "You're a pretty good Guardian."

He grins and scratches the back of his neck. "Ah, well I try." He looks down at his feet and squeezes your hand, rubbing his thumb gently over your knuckles. When he looks back up, his blue eyes are shining fondly down into your (e/c) ones. It looks like he's about to say something else, but he's cut off by a loud crack of thunder.

Everyone looks up.

Pitch stands atop a building far down the street from you, yet even from this far away, you can see his cocky smile. Clouds of dark sand swirl and crackle behind him, its huge mass booming down the street towards you like a tsunami. You don't even realize you're squeezing Jack's hand tightly until he squeezes back. Jamie and Pippa walk up to your side, both of their eyes shining with fear as they look at your foe. Monty, late to the party, comes running past you whooping in excitement, but once he sees what you're all facing, he screams and rushes back to the group, nearly plowing you over. You catch him by the shoulders just in time and push him behind you.

The Nightmare King's voice echoes towards you and all around you, coming from the shadows of the whole city. "You think a few children can help you? Against this?"

The sandstorm descends slightly from the sky with another huge crack of lightning to emphasize his point. Instead of winter, the air smells of a summer storm. North draws his sword and steps forward, but the heavy blade pulls him back down to the ground with a clang. He can barely stand at this point, and Jack leaves your side to help him. Then they both look back at Jamie, noticing the concern on his face and the other children's.

Jack steps back towards Jamie you and crouches down in front of the boy. His brown eyes are looking at the mountain of fear in, well, fear. Jack takes a hold of Jamie's chin and gently pulls his head down to look at him. "They're just bad dreams, Jamie."

Bunny thumps his foot in anticipation. "Yeah, we'll protect you, mate."

"Aw," Pitch coos, "you'll protect them?" He laughs maniacally. "But who will protect you?"

The whole world seems to stand still around you as the two opposing parties stare each other down in silence. It's as if the whole world has slowed to a stop, and the battle of good and evil is at a brief stalemate. Both armies wait for a cue to continue wreaking havoc on the world and each other.

"I will."

You jerk your head away from the sky in shock. Jamie stands a couple of feet in front of the rest of the group, chin raised defiantly as he stares down Pitch. This boy, who was huddled next to you and Jack only a few seconds ago, is now ready to take on his biggest fears. The resilience of children is astounding, but either way, you can't let him do this.

You move to pull him back, but before you can, Cupcake does the same thing, declaring that she'll protect them too. Caleb and Claude are next, shoving each other along the way, then Pippa. Monty steps forward last, sniffling from the cold. "Uh, I'll-I'll try," he promises. The Guardians can do nothing but watch in amazement as the kids squeeze past them one by one and form their own line of protection. Jack glances over at you with wide eyes, and you shrug, conveying that you don't know what to do either.

All of you turn to face the sky again. Pitch raises his arms, causing the wave of Nightmare sand to snake its way through town, causing destruction wherever it goes. It's slowly working its way towards you. "Still think there's no such thing as the Boogeyman?" He sneers down at you.

Jamie sets his jaw, looking up at Pitch in a way you've never seen him look at anyone before. "I do believe in you," Jamie says. "I'm just not afraid of you."

All you can do is watch in shock and fear as the black mass continues to spiral towards you. You were in Pitch's clutches for not even twenty-four hours, and you know you'll have nightmares about it forever. Nightmares that he doesn't cause. You don't want to be there again, and you don't want anyone else to have to experience it too. Especially not Jamie and the kids.

The mass comes down in one final wave on all of you, and Jamie thrusts out his hand to meet it. As it makes contact, the black sand bursts into streams of gold.

You gasp in wonder and awe as the streams of color fold all around you. All of the kids cry out in excitement, turning around and gazing at the streams of sand. You watch in awe as one of the streams of sand morphs into a dragonfly for a split second before the creature dives back into the gold river. You turn your head to face Jack. "Sandy," you whisper.

He shakes his head, eyes just as wide as yours. "It can't be." You grin widely and jump up and down in excitement at the slim possibility. There has to be hope for your crusade. The appearance of this golden sand is proof of that.

Tooth's wings flutter to life next to you, and you spin around just in time to watch her beat them with a resurgence of strength and energy. You cheer her on as she takes off into the air, laughing and flying around your group. North is next: His blue eyes brighten with newfound youth and joy, and his back straightens so he's not hunched over anymore. He unsheathes his sword and runs around joyfully, and you detach yourself from Jack to turn and watch him go.

"No!" Pitch's voice echoes once again, and you stop and look back up at him. "Get them!" He points towards you, and you gasp as still hundreds of nightmares flood towards you.

"Go!" Jack yells at you. "Find somewhere safe!"

He takes off towards Pitch and your hair billows around you at the gust of wind he leaves behind. You watch him for a moment before turning around quickly, looking for somewhere to go. A flash of gray catches your attention, and you look to see a still-tiny Bunny scampering down a side street. Two snarling Nightmares snap at his heels. You gulp and sprint after him, dodging the yetis that are coming out of North's portals as you go.

You turn the corner just in time to see Bunny dive under a parked car. It's a bit of a struggle to get completely underneath it because of his plump, fluffy body, but he manages to do so just in time. The two Nightmares gnash their teeth in frustration and shove their snouts under the car, trying to snuff him out. Gritting your teeth, you sprint forward and throw your arms around the nearest horse's neck, doing your best to pull it back and away from the car.

A pretty stupid thing to do, but hey, you've never been through anything like this.

"Come on, horsey!" you yell, tugging once more. You're leaning back pretty far when suddenly, the solidity of the horse disappears out from underneath your hands. Your momentum from pulling on the horse sends you flying backward and onto your butt, and you watch as what was once a Nightmare dissolves into golden sand. The heels of your hands burn from your fall and your hair has been thrown forward to veil your face. When battling evil Nightmares, bring a ponytail.

You lean forward off of your hands to brush it out of your eyes, only for a sharp gust of hot air to do the job for you. You blink in surprise at the sensation, but then your heart sinks. You know what the cause of it is. Opening your eyes slowly, you inhale sharply as your eyes are met with a pair of cold, golden ones. The horse snorts in your face and you shriek, scrabbling backward and away from it. Not too long ago, you were in a similar situation.

The supernatural being follows you closely, whinnying terrifyingly as its front hooves stomp dangerously close to where your feet are as you scramble backward. Suddenly, it rears up on its back legs, and your eyes widen in fear. You curl up into yourself, covering your head and waiting for the blow to come.

But it never does.

You open your eyes slowly and look up through your arms, still panting softly. A newly tall Bunny stands in a cloud of dispersed Nightmare sand, coughing and waving away the black particles with his boomerang. "Gah, why doesn't mine turn gold?" he complains. He blows the rest of it out of his face before sheathing the boomerang he's using to wave it off. He leans down and offers you a free hand. "C'mon, Sheila. Time to go."

You take his hand gratefully, and he pulls you to your feet. You wobble a little bit on your feet before the both of you take off running down the road. Bunny runs slower than he normally does so you can keep up with him, and you're grateful for it. This isn't a situation anyone should be alone in. "You know," you start, panting slightly because talking-while-running is not a good combination, "I'm glad you're not little anymore."

Bunny smirks over at you. "So am I."

* * *

 _ **Alright, there's Chapter 14! I hope you enjoyed it, as I enjoyed writing it. I plan on writing a series of** **one-shots** **after this story, and maybe a little bit of a story within the** **one-shots** **? I don't know, I'm still working out the specifics. Anyway, thank you for reading and enjoying this story!**_

 _ **Please, review and the next chapter will come soon!**_


	15. The Battle: Part 2

_**Sorry this update took so long, everyone! LAST CHAPTER HERE WE GOOOOOOOOOO**_

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You duck under an elf riding a toy plane as you run down the street next to Bunny. The world around you is a complete blur. The kids are all around you, holding their own and working together to turn Nightmares into Dreamsand. You're glad they're not in any real danger unless Pitch gets near them, otherwise, you would never let them near here. They're all oblivious to the real danger you are fighting. They don't know that the whole world is at stake, and you'd prefer to keep it that way.

As you run through the battle, you're relieved to see that the gold is starting to outnumber the black.

You nearly trip over your own feet as you Bunny suddenly changes course and runs around a corner. You narrowly miss the curb as you follow close behind. "Bunny," you gasp, "where is the sand coming from?"

He glances at you inquisitively out of the corner of his eye as the two of you run. "Don't know. Why?"

You don't want to say this because the wound is still fresh, but you know it has to be said. All of you are thinking it. "It's Sandy's."

Even though the pooka's eyes widen, he shakes his head. "Nah. Can't be."

You slow to a stop, and Bunny does too, but a couple of feet after you. He didn't realize you stopped until he couldn't hear your feet anymore. "But what if it is?" you ask.

He regards you thoughtfully and opens his mouth to say something more, but a flash of blue distracts both of you. You look up and see Pitch battling out on one of the apartment building's rooftops. North and Tooth keep the surrounding area clear of Nightmares that are trying to interfere. But, although your friends were the first thing to get your attention, something draws you to look just past the building. And then you see it.

A golden light is emanating from a source you know isn't the street lamps. Every couple of seconds it dims and then brightens back up as if pulsing with energy.

"Go help the others," you say, pointing up at the rooftop. You drop your arm and begin to job backward and away from Bunny. "I have an idea."

He opens his mouth to protest, but you've already turned around and begun running off down the street, heading towards the light. You duck underneath a shot of haywire Nightmare sand that Jack deflected away from him. You hardly notice all of the attacks you manage to miss, completely focused on your task.

The task that you're not even sure of. You just hope whatever your brain has conjured up works.

After a couple of minutes, you finally reach the source of the light. You skid to a stop, panting heavily and hands shaking as you look at it. A huge funnel cloud of golden sand swirls in front of you. Various shapes and muted colors other than gold shift in and out of its surface. It's beautiful and altogether mesmerizing to look at, and you take a deep, contented breath. A calm sort of humming sound emanates outwards from the mass's center, drawing you in. There's something in its center, you can feel it. You don't know what it is, but it seems to be calling to you.

You swallow nervously and step forward and up to the cloud. Your eyes burn a little bit from the change in light, but you refuse to look away. Streams of sand no thicker than yarn make up the entire thing. They're all different colors, the most prominent one being gold, and you watch them all swirl and change course around each other. It's almost like a language, one you've never seen before.

Almost subconsciously, you raise your hand up to the gentle cyclone. You watch your shaking fingers as they inch closer to touching the border, and finally, your fingertips make contact. You laugh shakily and pull your fingers back. It's so warm; the kind of warm you get when you hold a mug of hot chocolate after a long, cold day out in the snow. A sense of overwhelming joy takes over your body and you smile, placing your other hand up against the sand.

You have no time to react as the sand rushes forward and swallows you whole.

* * *

With one last blast of ice, Jack finds an opening and advances forward on Pitch. The Nightmare King scrambles backward and into the alley wall, but he can't bring himself to feel pity. After all that this man has done . . . he can't. "It's over, Pitch," Jack growls. "There's no place to hide."

Jack's frown deepens when Pitch gives him a wry smile instead of admitting his obvious defeat like he thought he would. The man descends into the shadows, casting multiple black versions of himself along the alley walls. Jack stands back-to-back with his comrades, all of them watching the black figures swirl around them and scanning for any sign of where their greatest enemy will appear next.

"You know what's funny, Frost?" Pitch's voice echoes around them. "I can see everything in the world through every shadow, every crevice of darkness."

Bunny growls and steps out of the circle, twirling his boomerang restlessly in one hand. "Stop stalling, and come out and fight!" he yells.

"Oh, I will." Pitch appears again, smirking at them sinisterly. He clutches something in his hand, and Jack frowns. "But first . . ." He holds out his arm and drops whatever was in his hand onto the ground. He leaves only that in his wake as he dissolves away again with a dark chuckle.

Tooth flutters forward and picks the object up off of the ground. Her eyes widen and she whirls around to look at Jack. She clutches a (f/c) glove in her hands. Black particles of Nightmare sand fall off of it as she moves. "(y/n)," she whispers.

Jack's eyes widen and he shoots off into the air.

* * *

The world is completely silent except for the tinkling sound of the sand streams curling around you. Your hair floats around your head in this state of stasis as if you're underwater. Bits of it turn to gold as you watch in awe. Looking down, you see that the ground beneath you is no longer covered in snow but with lush, green grass.

The Dreamsand isn't just gold anymore, it's all different colors: All changing and coiling around you like mirages. Various objects materialize and disappear in and out of the sand all around you, and you find yourself spinning in a circle, trying to take in the beautiful sight all at once.

After making a full circle, you see it: The familiar outline of one of your new friends. "Sandy?" you whisper, stepping closer to his image. The figure tilts its head at the sound of your voice, and your heart jumps with hope and a twinge of fear.

But then the light disappears and the world rushes back in.

Tons of sand fall to the ground around you, and you cover your head as you wait for it to stop falling. But none of it hits you. You gasp and pant as you look at your surroundings in shock. From shins down, you're completely covered in brown sand. None of it glows with the magic and light you saw before. The sounds of battle are raging behind you again, but you don't even notice. Your heart breaks at how black and white the world suddenly seems. Being inside that funnel was like seeing color for the first time.

You gasp. Sandy. You saw Sandy.

"No," you whisper. Your breaths come out shaky as you look around yourself, looking for any sign of what you just saw. You kneel down and shove your shaking hands wrist-deep in the sand and begin digging, hoping the light is still buried underneath it. So you can bring that image of Sandy back. "No!" you scream. You squeeze your eyes shut and grit your teeth as sobs begin to wrack your body. You grasp the dry grains of dirt in your hands and lay your head down on your forearms.

You gasp as you are violently grabbed by the hood of your coat and pulled to your feet. You struggle and kick at the sand as you try to get away, but it's to no avail. You're pulled against a cold chest. Not cold like Jack, but the kind of sickening cold you get when you enter a haunted house. You gasp and fight the urge to groan as you feel a slim arm wrap around your neck.

Of course. You let your guard down for one second, and Pitch manages to get ahold of you. You're sick of being the damsel in distress.

You flinch away when you feel his cool breath on your neck, fresh tears still rolling down your face at the last hope of bringing Sandy back. "Weren't we in this position only a few hours ago, dear?" Pitch coos.

You grit your teeth in disgust and stomp down hard on his instep. He hisses in pain, but his grip on you doesn't loosen. "I am not your dear," you hiss.

He only smirks down at you with his cracked and yellowing-teeth, but his eyes are full of rage. "Now now, calm down." He looks past you and sighs with false relief. "Ah, finally they arrive! It only took them thirty seconds too long."

He grips your chin tightly and forces you to face forward once again. The Guardians and Jack stand only a couple of feet away, bodies tense and ready to pounce on Pitch at any moment. "(y/n)," Jack breathes. You look at him apologetically.

This time, Pitch brings an onyx knife to your throat. You gasp and grip his arm just in time to miss being cut, using all of your strength to hold him back as far as you can. He laughs shrilly at your effort. "You've got quite a fire in you."

"You have no idea," you breathe. Your arms begin to shake from holding him back, and you thank whatever God or gods there are that your arms aren't bound this time.

Jack steps forward, and you let your eyes flicker to him for a moment before they're back on the knife. "Let her go," he orders.

"Oh, no no no." Pitch clicks his tongue. "I'm the one giving orders right now, Frost. Either you let me go, or your precious little girlfriend will get more than just a few cuts."

You gasp and glance at Jack. Your arms are shaking from exertion from holding Pitch's arm back, but you still find the strength inside of you to protest. "Jack, no. I saw something, there's—" Pitch pushes harder, and you cut yourself off as you look back at the knife. When you look back up, you just shake your head. Jack looks at you dejectedly. "Please," you gasp out.

Tooth's eyes flicker away from you and to something behind you. Her eyes widen and she looks back you incredibly quickly. You see her take Bunny's hand, and he looks next. Slowly, the rest of the Guardian's and Jack's eyes do the same. All of their eyes seem to widen at once, and only then do you see the golden light coming from behind you that is being cast across the sand around you.

Out of the corner of your eye, you see a tendril of golden sand wrap itself around the arm that Pitch is holding the knife with. Then, with a great tug, Pitch is pulled backward and away from you, and you're sent twirling back down to the ground, kneeling on your hands and knees in the sand. You gasp at the sudden change in position and look down at your hands in shock as you pant.

A small hand comes to rest under your chin, guiding your head gently upwards. Tears well up in your eyes and you hiccup softly as you look up into the smiling face of the Sandman. He uses his thumb to wipe away a tear sliding down your cheek gently. "Sandy," you whisper. Before you can say anything else, he clicks his tongue silently and holds up a finger. You notice that his other hand is above his head, and you look up to see it's holding a long golden whip that's spiraling up and into the Heavens. Pitch is on the other end, screaming and cursing.

Then, with a wink, Sandy yanks down on the whip, sending Pitch crashing down to the ground not even twenty feet from where you're positioned. Cheers erupt behind you, and you hear the kids voices mixed in with the Guardians'. You hadn't even realized they'd arrived.

Two cold hands wrap around your wrists and tug you to your feet. A much more comforting cold embrace wraps around your body. You gasp in relief and wrap your arms around Jack's shoulders, hugging him back as you try to process the mixed emotions and fear of the last couple of minutes. "I'm okay," you whisper, partly for him, and partly for yourself. "I'm okay."

His embrace tightens so you're practically crushed against him. "Don't scare me like that, (y/n)."

"I'm sorry," you whisper back. You realize Jack is shaking, and you pull back slightly to rest your forehead against his, looking into his eyes. "I'm okay. I promise." He nods against your forehead, and you smile playfully. "But I kind of can't breathe right now."

He gasps and lets go of you. "Sorry, sorry."

But then you pull him back into another hug. "God, I'm glad you're okay. You're insane." He smirks against your shoulder and pulls away. He keeps his hand wrapped around yours, and you're not complaining.

The both of you watch as Sandy floats upwards and into the air, letting streams of Dreamsand loose. You lay your head on Jack's shoulder and watch as Sandy's magic takes over your hometown. Dolphins and dragons and all kinds of other creatures jump in and out of the Dreamsand as they go out to the waiting children. A golden unicorn clops by you and Jack, and you laugh out loud at Cupcake's awestruck face.

You jump back in shock as a huge foot comes down in front of you. You gasp as you look up, and let go of Jack's hand to run underneath the Brontosaurus, giggling the whole way. Then you reach your hand out into a school of fish swimming by you, smiling as they maneuver around it just like real fish would. You can't help but spin around in a circle, taking in the wonder around you.

A cold hand rests on your hip, and you freeze, blushing at the intimate touch. You lean back into Jack's chest, and his cold breath tickles your ear as he mutters, "Watch this."

Turning your head, you watch as he forms a snowball in his hand and takes aim right at the back of Jamie's head. Jamie is knocked forward a step or two at the force of the throw, and you laugh at the incredulous expression he sends you and Jack. Jack moves his hands so both of them are on your hips and rests his head on your shoulder. You smile to yourself and take his arms so they're wrapped around you, holding onto his clasped hands. It feels so nice for Jack to touch you the way you've wanted him to for nearly two years.

North comes to stand next to you, his blue eyes looking at the unfolding snowball fight with kind eyes. Jack pulls away from you and steps between you and North, keeping a steady grip on your hand. After a few seconds, he looks down at Jack. "Your center?"

"It took a while." Jack nods his head, looking at the people around you before looking back up at North. "But I figured it out."

North nods fondly, and you gasp as he's hit in the face with a snowball. He turns his head, and you giggle when you see Caleb, Claude, and a lone elf all pointing fingers at each other. North busts out laughing, clutching his stomach as he does. "You're all on Naughty List!" He gathers snow in his hands and forms a snowball as he looks for a target. "Bunny! Think fast!"

You turn around to face Jack before you can see Bunny get hit. You're pretty sure you wouldn't be able to handle it if you did. "What's he talking about, your center?" you ask.

He looks down at you and smiles. "It's what every Guardian protects in the world. North's is Wonder, Tooth's is memories . . ." He trails off and looks past you, and you tilt your head to catch his gaze again.

"What's yours?"

It takes him a couple of seconds before he looks back at you, grinning. "Fun."

You burst out laughing. "Of course." He nods, chuckling to himself and looking down at his feet. "What else did you see in your memories?" you ask softly after the both of you have finished laughing. He looks back up at you questioningly, and you roll your eyes. "Come on, Jack, I've known you for too long to not know when you're lying."

He laughs. "Alright, Miss Smarty-pants, you want to know what else I saw?" You hum in confirmation and smile when Jack pulls you close to him once again. He moves his face so it's only inches from yours, and you feel your face heating up from his closeness. His breath is deliciously cold on your lips as he whispers, "I saw you."

And then he kisses you, and you melt back into it. This is a completely different kiss from the last one you share. While the last one was desperate and trying to convey too many emotions at once, this one is full of passion and love. The both of you are taking it slow, lips brushing against each other and occasionally laughing between kisses. It's not every day you survive the near-end of the world and realize that you're in love with your best friend.

A snowball hits your side, and you break away from the kiss with a gasp, turning to face your attacker. The kids all stand in a group, pointing at you and groaning "Ewwwwww." Tooth floats off to the side, smiling widely at you and Jack. She winks at you, and you bury your head in Jack's shoulder, laughing nervously as you try to hide your blush.

Jack, however, is not affected at all by the attention. He leans down and easily forms four snowballs in the snow with just a touch of his staff. "Alright, who's gonna get some?" he asks. You laugh as the kids all squeal and scatter, and Jack launches a snowball after a retreating Jamie.

A retreating Jamie, who is running straight towards a now-awake Pitch.

"Jamie!" you shriek.

The boy doesn't hear you, and your heart seizes up in panic. You watch in shock as he runs right through Pitch—just like others used to with Jack. Pitch gasps and clutches his chest, devastation written clearly across his face as he gasps for air. You know from Jack telling you that it's not comfortable having someone run right through you. "No!" he yells loudly.

Jack and you take a step forward, and Pitch's heavy breathing subsides. With one last final look at all of you, he turns and flees. The four Guardians and Jack are quick to take off after him—all of them running or flying unnaturally fast.

You huff to yourself. Curse these supernatural beings.

"Alright, kids!" you yell. "Let's go!"

You only get a few steps in before a familiar voice asks: "Go where?" You freeze.

Whirling around, you see your mother standing in the street behind the open door of her car. Her face is all confusion as she takes in you and the kids stretched out across the lawn and the giant pile of sand mixed in with the snow. "(y/n), what's going on? It's four o'clock in the morning."

"What are you doing here?" you manage to gasp out. Your mother watermelons, unable to form words. "Why were you outside so early?"

You step forward and closer to the car. Your father sits in the passenger's seat, regarding you with confused eyes. Realization dawns on you and you glance at the back seat to see the suitcases. You lock eyes with your mother once again, and you can't believe she has the decency to look guilty. "Leaving again, huh?" She opens her mouth to argue, but you cut her off with a raised hand. After a brief stalemate, you look at her with hard eyes. "Send a postcard this time."

And with that, you spin around on your heel to walk away. "(y/n), wait!" A hand grabs your elbow and you spin back around, wrenching your arm away from your mother. She looks at you with sad eyes so similar to yours. "Please, you have to understand. We left a note this time. There's . . . there's been a death, so we have to leave now to make it to the funeral. We weren't leaving you again, I promise. And we'll be back soon."

You're still frowning, but your mouth has dropped open slightly. All you can manage to get out is a small, "Okay."

Your mother sighs and pulls you into a tight hug. You hesitate briefly before putting your hands hesitantly on her waist. She puts her lips up to your ear. "(y/n), when you go with them . . . please come visit, okay?" Your eyes widen as your mother pulls away. She takes a step back and squeezes your hand. "We love you, I promise. So please . . . come visit."

Then she turns away and gets back in the car. You watch in shock as she and your father pull away, and at the insane feeling of knowing that they'll be back. But from the blessing your mother just gave you . . . you won't be.

The world has slowed down around you. You turn around slowly and begin walking towards the forest, feet feeling like lead. Pippa's voice cuts through the haze: "Who was that?" she asks. You look down at her.

"No one," you insist. You swallow and turn back to face forward. "Come on, guys, we gotta hurry!" You take off into a jog, and you know the kids do too from their whoops and cheers as they follow after you.

A loud booming comes from behind you, and you turn your head to see two giant Sentinel eggs following you. Elves and yetis follow close behind, and one of the elves gives you a silly grin. Smiling to yourself, you turn back forward and continue running in the direction the Guardians disappeared to. The path leads to somewhere you've been a thousand times.

All of your adventures seem to end up here.

When you reach Jack's lake, you hold out your arms beside you to stop the kids from rushing past you, just in case Pitch is there. But all you see is the group of five standing in the middle of the frozen pond, looking off into the distance. You walk slowly out onto the ice, still trying to catch your breath from your run.

Bunny is the closest to you when you reach the group. He nods down at you in greeting. "Where's Pitch?" you ask him.

He looks back up over the boulders and into a stretch of the forest you've never been before. He sighs heavily before saying, "Gone." You nod your head, confused at the odd clenching of your heart at the news. You're not even sure what the emotion is. Pity, probably.

The day is pale and faint, but oddly welcoming. The warm sunlight rising over the rocks is welcoming in the cold. A shoulder brushes yours, and you look to your right to see Jack has come up next to you, looking up at the moon. You smile softly and take his hand, squeezing it softly. Then a bright flash of color appears in front of your face, and you gasp at the familiar face. "Baby Tooth!" you exclaim, smiling widely up at the tiny fairy flitting excitedly in front of your face.

She chirps at you excitedly and takes a lap around your head before flying off once again to join Tooth, who has just finished hugging Jack. She hugs you next, and you smile as she lifts you off of the ground, her entire body vibrating not only from her wings but from excitement. Once she pulls away, she keeps her hands on your shoulders and winks at you. "I told you you had something special."

Rolling your eyes, you push her away. "Yeah, yeah."

"But seriously, (y/n)," she hugs you again, this time much softer. "We couldn't have done this without you."

"Yeah, mate." Bunny pats your shoulder, and your knees nearly buckle at the force of it. You smile up at him, and he gives you a half-grin. "You're practically a Guardian yourself." Your heart swells with pride.

"Are you ready now, Jack?" You turn away from Bunny and Tooth to see North standing with Jack a couple of feet away from you. "To make it official."

A yeti comes up and hands North the book you saw when you first met the Guardians—the leather one with the huge, golden "G" engraved on the front. As the yeti falls back into the line of his comrades, and you recognize the one next to him as the one you handed the terrified elf to during the battle. He's still holding the goofy-looking being in his furry hands. He smiles at you and nods gruffly. You smile and wave tentatively back.

"Then it is time you take Oath," North continues. He opens the book and flips through several pages before speaking again: "Will you, Jack Frost, vow to watch over the children of the world?" You notice Jamie and the others have come up behind you, watching history unfold in front of them. "To guard them with your life—their hopes, their wishes, and their dreams? For they are all that we have, all that we are, and all that we will ever be," North finishes.

Jack takes a moment to look back at Jamie with a smile before answering North: "I will." You smile at the certainty in his tone.

North closes the book, eyes sparkling with what seems to be pride. "Then congratulations, Jack Frost—for you are now and forevermore . . . a Guardian."

Jamie and the others erupt into cheers around you, and you smile and clap along with them. The yetis behind North are sharing hugs, and the elves are doing little dances and slipping all across the ice. North picks up Jack by the shoulders and gives him a hug before kissing him on both cheeks. You cover your mouth to smother your giggle before Jack sees.

A large boom resounds on the ice, and you look to your left to see North's sleigh waiting for him only a couple feet away from your little group. The kids all chorus their awe as they watch the reindeer paw at the ice, restless after getting their powers back.

Sandy throws up his hands, creating a shower of Dreamsand that drifts down onto your group like golden snow. Then he walks up to you and forms a little golden umbrella above your head so none of it falls on you. You look down at him in confusion, and he forms three Z's above his head to indicate sleep, and you nod in understanding. "Oh."

Jack walks over to you and wiggles his eyebrows. "So . . . I guess I'm even more superior now."

You roll your eyes and push him away from you. "I hope you know none of us are gonna treat you that way, right Sandy?" You look down at Sandy with raised eyebrows. "Right, Sandy?" Sandy smiles and conjures a person with a huge head above his head. You giggle. "Exactly."

Jack opens his mouth to protest, but he stops when he sees North walk up to the three of you. He places a hand on Jack's shoulder and smiles down at him. "Time to go," he says.

Your heart sinks.

Tooth is already sitting primly on the first row of seats of the sleigh. Bunny joins her a few seconds later, but only after giving Sophie one of his "best eggs." Sandy tips a hat to you before taking the Dreamsand umbrella and floating away. He takes his seat on the highest row just like he did the last time he road in the sleigh.

North gives you a huge, rib-crushing hug before pulling away and kissing both of your cheeks. "You are a fine young lady, Miss (y/n)." He winks knowingly at you. "We shall meet again very soon."

You frown at the way he said "very", and you watch him walk back to the sleigh, smiling and patting the kids shoulders. Jack walks up in front of you, and you gulp nervously as step up closer to him. "So, I guess you're leaving," you mutter.

He doesn't respond, just pulls you into a tender hug. "You know I'm not really leaving, (y/n). Just like I told Jamie, I'm in here." He points one finger at your heart. You roll your eyes at his cheesiness, and he grins.

And then, with one last kiss on the cheek, he's gone and walking towards the sleigh, where North and the others are waiting for him. You wrap your arms around your middle. That kind of goodbye won't be enough for you for however long you and the newest Guardian will be apart. You wave at the retreating sleigh with a sad smile as it takes off into the sky.

It takes everything in you to turn away, but you have other things to do before you wallow in sadness. Turning away, you gather a yawning Caleb under one arm and Cupcake under the other (as best you can, since she's so tall). "Come on guys, let's get you home before you fall asleep on the ice."

You're about halfway to the shore when a boom echoes behind you once again, and you whirl around to see the sleigh is back on the ice.

"Miss (l/n)!" North exclaims from his position at the globe, looking down at you with mischief in his eyes. "Are you coming?"

Your eyes widen in shock. "Seriously?"

He nods. "Seriously."

Thoughts race freely through your head, despite the obvious desire to just jump aboard the sleigh and fly away. "But how will the kids get home?"

Jack snorts and North scoffs and waves a hand. "Oh, the yetis and the elves will take care of it." You look to Jack.

Jack, who is smiling at you hopefully from his position at the edge of the sleigh. "Come on, (y/n)." He smirks and holds out his hand for you to take. "Why stop this adventure now?" You laugh to yourself as he repeats the words you said to him only three days ago.

Turning around, you see that Jamie is the only one still awake. His brown eyes look up into your (e/c) ones with wonder and a twinge of sadness, and you smile down at him softly. He rushes forward and hugs you tightly around the middle, and after only a few seconds, he pulls back and smiles up at you. "Go."

Smiling at him, you lean down and hug him once more, practically crushing the young boy to your chest. Then you turn back around to face the Guardians—your new family. Tooth is fluttering above the seats in excitement and Sandy is grinning widely at you with two thumbs-up. Bunny nods at you with a smile, arms crossed over his chest.

You walk up to the sleigh and take Jack's hand.

* * *

 _ **And that is the end of Melt with You! Thank you all so much for reading this story, and let me know if you liked it/loved it/any thoughts you may have! I love hearing from you all.**_

 _ **I will be doing a series of oneshots of Jack and you, and the first chapter will be up soon! So you can start sending me requests of what you want Jack and you to do! I already have ten or so prompts of my own :) Please let me know your thoughts, and I love you all! Thank you so much for your endless support and love.**_

 _ **\- K**_


	16. Message: Melt With You Vignettes

_**Hello, all!**_  
 _ **Just want to let you know that the series of oneshots I was planning on writing after this story is NOW UP! The story is called "Melt With You: Vignettes", and I just posted the first little oneshot now. I hope you enjoy it, go and give that story a follow if you enjoyed this one! More adventures of you and Jack are coming soon :)**_

 _ **\- K**_


	17. Message: Updates!

_**Hey, all! So, recently I was reading through Melt With You, and I noticed quite a few grammar mistakes and ways to make it better . . .**_

 _ **So, like the perfectionist I am, I went all the way through and edited every single chapter again. If you want, you can re-read the whole thing!**_

 _ **However, I did change something about your parents. And because I have a few stories planned for the future, with some scenes involving your parents, I suggest going back and at least reading the last 3/4 chapters.**_

 _ **So . . . yeah! I hope you like the updated version, and I'll be adding a couple more one-shots to Melt With You: Vignettes before the end of summer. Around Christmas, I'm going to start working on a story in there that will probably be more than two chapters. I'm not sure how long it will be, but I'm very excited about it, so be prepared for that . . . :)**_

 _ **ANYWAY okay so go ahead and read the last three-ish chapters for the changes, or re-read the whole thing! And I'll be updating Melt With You Vignettes very soon :) I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your summer!**_

 _ **\- K**_


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